Young Hearts
by Keara
Summary: Duo and the other four ex-Gundam pilots go on a Preventers' mission to destroy an experiment of the five scientists. There are startling results. Yaoi/Shounen-ai. Pairings 1x2, 3x4, 5xR, 6x9. I'm working on fixing early chapters, adding line breaks.
1. Part One

Disclaimers: I own nothing.

Notes: A new fic, by me. Lots and lots of Chibis. 1+2, 3+4, 5+R pairings. Enjoy.

* * *

Young Hearts

Part One

* * *

Duo strolled through the halls of Preventers HQ, heading for the office he and Heero shared. He was humming a tune as he walked, his mood bright. As he stepped through the open doorway to their shared office, he belted out the last words to the song he had been humming. (1) "Nobody loves . . . me. It's true. Not, like, you . . . do."

Then Duo noticed that he and Heero weren't alone in the room. His plan to see if he could get a reaction out of the Perfect Soldier had definitely backfired. Crowded in the small office, were Duo s friends, Quatre, Wufei, Trowa, Heero, and Lady Une.

Quatre was snickering, as Duo felt himself blush. Heero muttered something about Duo being a baka, and Wufei was just simply shaking his head. Trowa was just as calm as ever, but the worst was that Lady Une was standing there, her hand clasped over her mouth to keep back her own giggles. Duo wished there was a crack in the floor that he could fall through, if only to get away from the overwhelming sense of embarrassment.

"Uh . . . oh." Duo said, sheepishly, his cheeks most likely a bright shade of crimson by now. "Heh . . . Hi, guys! I had no idea you were here."

"Obviously, Duo." Lady Une said, smiling. "Now, if you would mind taking your foot out of your mouth, we have a mission to discuss."

Duo flopped down in the nearest available seat, the one behind his own desk, and slouched down. He was so embarrassed. He wanted desperately to sink beneath his desk to get away. But he quietly listened as Lady Une detailed the group's next mission.

A light kick to his knee, drew Duo's attention and he looked over to see Heero glaring at him. "Sit up straight." He whispered quietly.

Duo sighed, then pushed himself upright in his seat. Then he glared right back at Heero and stuck out his tongue.

"It has come to my attention . . ." Lady Une began. "That the five scientists that trained you, have somehow managed to survive. One of their lab assistants disagreed with what they were planning and came to me. I am not altogether sure of the validity of the claim, but it will still be investigated."

"What is the claim?" Quatre asked, leaning against a wall.

"It seems as if the doctors held onto samples of your DNA, and are in the process of cloning you in order to mold the perfect soldiers. J is stated to be in charge of the process." Lady Une replied.

"That's just like him." Heero muttered.

Duo turned in time to see Heero shaking his head. Then he looked back to Une. "So, what are we supposed to do?"

Lady Une turned to him. "The samples as well as the clones and the lab itself are to be destroyed. We can't let anyone get a hold of the technology and the clones might already be trained to kill."

"Okay, where is this place so we can go finish this job?" Duo said, rising from his seat.

"Are we in a hurry, Mr. Maxwell?" Lady Une asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"I just don t like the idea of another me running around." Duo replied, shivering at the thought.

"I believe that no one would like the idea of another YOU even existing, Maxwell." Wufei sneered.

For the second time that day, Duo stuck his tongue out, this time at Wufei. "Ha ha." He said. "Very funny."

Wufei smirked slightly for a brief instant, then turned to Lady Une. "When do we leave?" He asked, ignoring Duo.

"As soon as Sally gets here."

"What? She's coming with us?" Duo inquired. Why did they need her tagging along?

Lady Une cast an intimidating glance in his direction. "You might need her expertise. We don't know the situation at the lab, and she might be of some use."

"Fine." Heero said.

Wufei stood. "Just as long as she gets here soon. I will not have my time wasted by waiting around." He huffed.

"Well, Mr. Impatient, then you ll be happy that your time wasn't wasted." Sally said, upon entering the room.

Wufei said nothing to her, just walked from the room. Duo shook his head, watching his friend leave. "So, where is this place?" He asked again.

"Sally has the coordinates." Lady Une replied.

"Let's go then." Duo said, grabbing his Preventers jacket and bounding from the room, following Wufei.

He caught up with Wufei in the hallway and slapped him on the back in a friendly gesture. "What was that for, Maxwell?" Wufei glared.

"Just saying hello." Duo smiled, throwing his arm about Wufei's shoulders.

"You should find some other way to greet someone." Wufei brushed Duo off, then stalked away, leaving Duo to watch him walk off. 'Poor guy,' Duo thought. 'Gotta be lonely for him. Especially with all that pressure he puts on himself about being the last of his clan.' He knew about Wufei and Sally, that their relationship just hadn't worked out. Wufei wanted a family, and had been devastated to learn that Sally didn't want children.

Duo shook his head, clearing his mind of thoughts of Wufei's problems. Besides, he had better concentrate on the mission before him. No need to get careless. That was a sure fire way to get himself killed. He sighed as he resumed walking, following Wufei to the parking garage.

* * *

It seemed way too easy. There were no guards around the compound, no people whatsoever. It just seemed way too wrong. Duo didn't like it.

He and the others were stealthily making their way into the main lab at the center of the compound. After some hacking by Heero, they had been able to get the layout of the building that they were now walking around in. Duo had made it a point to memorize every detail about the schematics, so he wouldn't get lost in the huge place.

"Here we are." Quatre said, gesturing to the door ahead of them. "This is the lab."

"Can you open it, Q-man?" Duo asked, in a whispered tone, just in case someone was around to hear him.

"Shouldn't be a problem." Quatre replied, fixing his attention of the control panel in front of him. In mere seconds the blonde was able to open the door, a skill Duo found quite impressive.

Duo stepped into the lab, Heero and the others following close behind. All of them had their guns drawn and ready, prepared for any and all opponents that may have been waiting for them. But to Duo's confusion, the place was empty. Not one person was there, no one standing guard, no one at any of the computers that filled the room. There was just nobody there.

"Are you sure this is the right place, Sally?" Duo asked.

"This is the place, Duo." Sally replied.

"I guess somebody tipped them off." Quatre said, looking at the access controls to another door, one that was across the room from the group.

While Quatre was busy there, Sally occupied with various equipment, and the other guys were planting explosives, Duo turned to one of the computers and hacked into it. He just had to know what was going on. Maybe he could find some information in the computer to let him know why the place was empty.

"Hey guys, I found J's log." Duo frowned as he read the display aloud, so that the other pilots and Sally would also be able to hear. "April 12, AC 197: The cloning process was a success. Samples 00, 01, 02, and 03 are developing quite nicely. We will wait a month before trying the next sample. June 7, AC 197: The clones are doing splendidly in their hyper-aging pods. Out of necessity, we have sedated the clones so that they are unaware of the passage of time. We will begin memory programming. At this rate of growth, they will be able to take on their originals in almost no time. What a pity 00 died." Duo frowned. "00? Who's 00?"

Quatre looked up from where he was examining the door controls. They couldn't very well destroy their targets if they couldn't reach them. "I don't know."

Duo shrugged. "At any rate . . . that's when they put in sample 04." He turned back to the panel and continued reading. "July 12, AC 197: Put samples 05-09 in their respective pods. August 27, AC 197: Decided to test limits of Sample 10. Increased speed of aging to see if process could be shortened. Unfortunate side effects caused sample 10's death, have shut off monitors. Will dispose of remains at a later time after an autopsy to determine where the problem occurred. We are keeping the flow of nutrition and oxygen going to keep body functioning until an autopsy can be performed. Seeing that the process cannot be hastened, all we need to do is wait. According to calculations, the clones age approximately one year per month. In a little over a year, we will show our upstart proteges not to defy us."

"Those guys never give up." Quatre muttered, bringing Duo from his thoughts for a moment.

But Duo continued reading. "Hey . . . Here s one from yesterday. February 7, AC 198: Memory programming has been successful. Their memories were being programmed at the same time as they aged. We have also allowed physical characteristics to remain as they would have been, IE 06's hair. The clones would not have known they were clones. Unfortunately, the Preventers have discovered our lab and the project we are working on. We have cut nutrition and oxygen to all the specimens. Within 24 hours, the clones will die of suffocation." Duo paled when he glanced at the time. "Dammit! Quatre?" He nearly screamed, turning to face the blonde.

Heero frowned. "Why are you so upset? We were sent to destroy the clones."

Duo growled in anger, turning to the Japanese pilot, not believing how callous Heero could be. "Don't you get it? HQ thought the clones would be adults! ADULTS! We can't just let a bunch of kids die, Heero! It isn't their fault that the scientists are sickos who want to rule the world! They shouldn't be punished for that! Not if we can teach them something other than world domination." He glanced at the blonde again, who was working furiously. "Quatre? We only have about three minutes!"

"Got it!" Quatre yelled, pushing the button. He dashed in . . . only to be brought up short. "By Allah." He gasped, covering his mouth with his hands.

Duo ran in and froze. "Holy Mary, mother of God. Those assholes!" He walked up to one pod, the one designated to sample 06, and stared through the clear window. Floating in some strange liquid, was a little boy. Asleep for all intents and purposes . . . with long chestnut hair. Duo glanced at the monitor above the pod and noticed that the child's heartbeat was erratic, and the CO2 levels were building. Even in sleep, the child was thrashing.

"We have to get them out!" He shouted. He noticed a red button and saw that it was under a sign that said, 'Manual Release.' He didn't give it a second thought and pushed the button.

Duo ignored the liquid solution that flooded out, paying attention to catching the child . . . his clone. Around him, he heard the sounds of other pods flushing out, the sound of the others following his lead and getting the other clones from the pods.

Quatre bit his lip. "I'm warning you guys before I do this . . . I was a real brat as a child."

Duo ignored everyone else and concentrated on the little boy who was shivering with shock, fear and cold. He pulled his jacket off, and wrapped it around the tiny shoulders and held his younger self as the child coughed. "Sshh. It's all right." He hushed as he carefully removed the IV tubes from the distressed child . . . along with several patches and the tube that was stuck down the child's throat. Once the child was free of all the hardware he had been hooked up to, Duo sat on the damp floor and cradled his young clone while crooning a lullaby.

"You're safe . . . you're okay." Duo said. Then he looked up and noticed that only he and Trowa had concentrated solely on their own clones. Heero was trying to keep his clone and a clone of Zechs from coming to blows. Quatre was soothing a clone of Relena while his own clone was looking around with a sour expression plastered on his face. And poor Wufei had a similar problem as Heero, except that his clone was having a one-up contest with a clone of Treize. Well, Une should be happy about him, Duo thought. Then he turned his attention to Sally, and saw that she had her hands full as well. A clone of Une was standing beside her, adjusting Sally's coat around her shoulders, watching as Sally worked furiously over a small girl. Sally was currently only wearing a plain white undershirt, having wrapped her uniform shirt around the small girl on the floor.

"Who is it?" Duo asked. "Is there something wrong?"

"A clone of Noin. Looks like she wasn't finished." Sally replied sadly.

Duo looked up at the pod Sally was in front of. "Well, that's 10. The log said that one died because they rushed the process."

"But she isn't dead. I see signs of malnutrition, poor muscle development, but she's breathing and her heart beat is normal. She's just not responsive in any way. No motor functions, it's as if she's just an empty shell." Sally said.

Quatre approached slowly. "She is empty. She doesn't feel anything, no emotions whatsoever. They shut off the monitors and didn't bother with anything else, they didn't check again. She wasn't given any memories."

"Oh man! We can't just leave her like that. What do we do?" Duo asked.

Sally stood, picking up the clone of Noin as she moved. "Heero, I suggest you hold off on the explosives. Duo's right, we can't just leave her like this. It wouldn't be right. I'll go call HQ and send for some trucks. Maybe the scientists back there can figure out how to work this stuff."

Heero only nodded.

Duo watched as Sally left, then looked down at his clone in time to see the child open his eyes and look up at him. "Hey there sleepyhead! How you feeling? You want me to braid your mane for you?"

The child suddenly brightened. "Would you? Thanks! Sister Helen usually does it for me. My arms get really tired after a while." He glanced around. "Hey . . . we're not at the Maxwell Church! What's going on here? Where are we?" The child's voice was rough from never being used, but it had cleared somewhat.

Heero shook his head. "You were always that talkative?"

Duo countered, glancing at Heero's clone for a moment. "You were always that sour-faced?" He turned back to the boy he held and gently ran his fingers through his clone's hair. "As to where we are . . . we're in a lab." He proceeded to gently weave the length into an even braid.

From where he was sulking, the Quatre clone snorted. "I thought so." He grumbled.

Heero's clone glanced around. "For what purpose was I brought here?"

The rest of the clones were in various conversations amongst themselves, except for one. Of all of them, the one that had yet to say anything, was the clone of Trowa. The child had wrapped the jacket Trowa had given him tightly around himself and went into a corner, as far away from everybody else as he possibly could get. There was something there, Duo could see it, some pain hidden in his emerald eyes.

"Have I been adopted again?" Duo's clone asked, pulling Duo from his thoughts.

Duo felt a twinge at that question as he stood, helping the shaky youth stand on his unused legs. "You could say that." Duo said.

"Uh-huh. How long before you ship me back to the Maxwell Church? Who do you have to impress and how much are you gonna pay me to behave myself?" The clone asked.

Heero finished buttoning his shirt on the Zechs clone and walked over. "How many times have you been adopted?" He asked Duo's clone.

The clone frowned in thought. "I lost count after twenty." The child turned away from Heero's gaze and met Duo's. His eyes suddenly filled with tears that he refused to let fall. "Nobody wants me." He whispered.

Duo couldn't stop himself. He knelt down and pulled his clone into his arms. "Sshh. You're wrong. I want you, and I won't send you back to the church." He picked up the clone and held him close. Then he saw the looks his fellow ex-pilots were giving him. "What? It's a fact. People wanted little kids to behave. Heaven forbid that a child from L-2 ever show a spark of curiosity or intelligence." He tightened his hold on his clone. He vowed to himself that the little guy would have someone to love him. He needed someone who won't leave him, like Duo had never had. He smiled. "You, my little man, will have everything I didn't have growing up. I promise."

The clone giggled, pushing himself away from Duo slightly. "I like you. You're fun and you have a cool braid." He grabbed Duo's braid and held it tightly in his small hand, his other arm securely wrapped around Duo. "At least I know you won't try and cut my hair. Oh, I'm being rude . . . My name is Duo." He smiled.

Quatre's clone snorted. "He already knew that, you chatterbox!"

Quatre groaned, covering his eyes with one hand. "And so it begins." He sighed.

Quatre's clone looked around. "Don't any of you see it? They know who we are! They know us, because they ARE us!" He screwed up his face and kicked the side of a pod with his bare foot. "We're blasted clones! I always knew that my father could make another one of me if he wanted to! This just goes to prove how right I was. And not only me . . . he cloned all of you guys too."

Duo's clone watched the tiny blonde rant for a moment before turning his attention back to the young man holding him. "Is that true? You were me once?"

Duo shrugged. "Yeah, the half-pint is right in the fact that you're a clone. He's wrong about the reasons, though."

"So, if you were me once . . . will I be you one day?"

Duo shouted although he hadn't meant it. "No!" He paused and took a breath to calm himself, ashamed that he had made the small boy shiver in fear. "No. You will never be me. You wouldn't WANT to be me. Rather . . . you'll be the me that should have been."

"Can I keep my name?" The clone asked, toying with the end of his own braid.

"Yeah. The guys can just call you Chibi-Duo. Better than Mini-me any day." Duo smiled at his clone. "Are we about ready to leave, guys? I have a feeling that these guppies are hungry."

The Wufei clone grimaced. "I am NOT a guppy."

* * *

To Be Continued . . .

Footnotes:  
(1) The song that Duo was singing at the beginning, was Sour Times by Portishead.


	2. Part Two

Disclaimers: I don t own anything.

Notes: Part two of my fic.

* * *

Young Hearts

Part Two

* * *

Duo looked up as Sally walked in, still carrying the clone of Noin carefully in her arms. What a shame that the child was unfinished, Duo thought. Those bastards, the scientists, they could have at least checked to make sure that she was dead before passing judgement on her.

"The men from HQ have arrived, along with two vans for us to use." Sally said, as she stepped into the room.

Duo smiled down at his young clone. "Come on, our ride's here."

Chibi-Duo turned to look up at Duo. He smiled broadly and took hold of Duo's hand. However, Duo wanted to wait until everyone else had left the room, before he even took a step toward the door.

Duo glanced back, and noticed that Trowa was having some trouble getting his clone to come out of the corner he had hidden in.

"Come out, Little One." Trowa said quietly, as he knelt down.

The boy just shivered, trying to push himself even further back against the wall. Duo couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Something awful must have happened to make him react that way. And if it had happened in the clone's memories, it must have happened to Trowa as well. Duo's eyes widened at the thought of Trowa ever being so frightened as his clone was. He seemed so confident, so strong. It unnerved Duo to think of the silent young man as a terrified child. But here Duo was, able to see it all first hand.

"No one will hurt you here." Trowa continued, still trying to get him to come out. "You know who I am, right?"

The boy nodded silently, his eyes tightly closed as his body shook from fear and cold.

"Then you know I won't hurt you." Trowa slowly reached out, not close enough to touch the boy, just holding his hand out. "Come on, you're not going to be hurt. Please, come out."

Duo nearly sighed in relief as the boy hesitantly took hold of Trowa's hand, then even more slowly stood and stepped away from the corner. It would be difficult earning his trust, Duo was sure of that. That kid must have been through some pretty harsh stuff to be so scared. Duo cringed at the thought, memories of his own flashing before his eyes for a minute.

"Are we going, or not?" Chibi-Duo's voice asked.

Duo looked down and smiled. "Yeah, come on." He replied, pulling his clone out of the lab.

Once they stepped outside, Duo heard a small gasp. He glanced down, and noticed his clone's eyes were wide, staring up at the sky with amazement. Duo had forgotten that his clone shared his memories, so it must have been quite a shock to see a real sky above him. He remembered when he had gotten to Earth his first time, and the shock he had felt at seeing his first sunset, his first real cloud, to see how beautiful the moon was from Earth.

"Wow!" Chibi-Duo commented. "We're on Earth?"

"Yup." Duo replied, watching with amusement as his clone wandered a few steps away, always staring toward the sky.

And then it happened. A snowflake fell from the clouds. Chibi-Duo reached out, catching one of the first flakes of the storm in his hand. "Snow?" He asked. "Real snow?" He looked over at Duo, with a hopeful gleam in his eyes.

Duo nodded. Then he turned his attention to the other clones, wondering if any of them were reacting similarly. Wufei's clone seemed to be interested in the sky, Heero's clone was staring up at the sky, but Duo couldn't tell if he was enjoying the scene or not. His expression was totally unreadable. However, Quatre's clone was definitely enjoying the sky.

"Beautiful." Quatre's clone murmured, forgetting his gruff exterior for a moment to remark on the sky and the falling snow.

Duo smiled as he saw how kind the boy truly was, even if it was only for a moment. Then Quatre's clone glanced in his direction, and he disguised his sense of wonder, hiding it behind his cold mask once again. He turned away, getting into the nearest van. Duo wondered why Quatre had been such a brat as a child, why his clone acted so tough.

Duo shivered, realizing just how cold it was for the first time that day. "Come on." He said to Chibi-Duo.

"Aw." The boy pouted. "But it's snowing. I ain't never seen real snow before, or a real sky for that matter."

Duo felt a smile gracing his face once again. "You can play in the snow later, once we get you some warmer clothes." He said, gesturing at the clone's attire, which just happened to be Duo's own jacket. "Can't risk you getting sick."

Chibi-Duo pouted again, then nodded. "Oh, okay." He said, trudging along to one of the vans. Duo followed him, a smile attached to his face as he got in the van with his clone.

* * *

Heero looked out the window, and watched as the other van pulled away from the lab. The group had spilt into two, half of them in one van, the other half in the other van. Wufei, Quatre, and their respective clones, along with Sally and the clones of Treize, Une, and Noin, were in one van. The rest of the clones and pilots, occupied the van that Heero was now in.

He took a moment to look around at the others. Trowa was driving, his clone in the front seat beside him. Heero couldn't help but notice how positively terrified the young clone was. Heero would make it a point to avoid the child as much as possible. There was no need to frighten him further.

Heero's own clone was sitting beside him, staring straight ahead. Heero knew what the boy was thinking. In his young mind, he saw this as being captured by an enemy, possibly thinking that all of this was just some lie to get him to betray Odin Lowe, the man who took care of him. It would be difficult making the boy believe otherwise.

On Heero's other side, were the clones of Relena and Zechs. Relena's clone was crying, the clone of Zechs sitting beside her with his arms about her small body. Obviously so young, the clone of Relena still remembered that the young blonde was her older brother, her memories of her true family had not yet faded over time.

A small giggle drew Heero's attention, and he looked over to see Duo, with his clone on his lap, both the braided youths staring out the window smiling. Had Duo stayed the same throughout his life, Heero wondered. Seeing both of them staring out at the snow falling from the sky, with huge grins spread across their faces, Heero highly doubted that Duo had changed much. He obviously still found fascination in the smallest of things.

Heero flinched as the smile faded from Duo's face for a brief moment. The long-haired pilot turned, his eyes staring down at the boy he held. He drew one of his arms tighter around the youth, the other moving to run a smooth caress along the boy's arm. The boy, obviously appreciated the gesture, since he curled closer to Duo's body, drawing his legs up and snuggling against Duo's chest.

Duo turned his head, laying his cheek gently against the top of his clone's head. He smiled as his eyes locked with Heero's. Heero turned away, fighting the blush that was trying to creep across his face. He couldn't believe he had sat there and stared at Duo for so long, and to be caught watching him on top of that. He internally yelled at himself, for being so careless.

Duo broke the silence, and Heero once again turned to him. "All the times I wished I could live my life over again. I never dreamed it would come true." Duo said, still holding his clone close to himself.

"You're not living it over again, Duo." Heero replied.

"No?" Duo replied, a small smile once again gracing his face. "Oh, maybe not in the way I MEANT. But . . . these little guys and gals are the closest thing I'll have. If you ask me, which I know you didn't, it's close enough."

Heero shook his head. "Baka." He muttered, although Duo's reasoning did make sense.

"Just think about it, Heero . . ." Duo said. "Your clone can live a life you never could. There's no need for him to go down the paths that you did. He has his whole life ahead of him . . . they all do."

"Duo, we're not exactly old." Trowa commented from the driver's seat.

"Yeah, but look back on your life and tell me there aren't a few things you wish you hadn't had to witness." Duo said.

Heero took a glance at Trowa, just in time to see the tall youth's eyes shift to look at his clone. A strange expression crossed Trowa's features for an instant, before he once again took on his stoic quality. Then Heero looked down at his own clone, watching as the boy turned his attention to Duo and his clone. For a brief moment he thought about putting his arm around the boy, but that thought was tossed aside as he knew the boy would feel even less comfortable with that than Heero would himself.

A small hand tapped on Heero's arm, and he turned to see the clone of Relena looking up at him. "I'm cold." She said, her young face streaked from her tears.

"Well, come on over here, little darlin'," and we'll see about fixing that." Duo replied, cheerily.

The clone of Relena smiled, then looked up at Heero. Heero rolled his eyes, and lifted the young girl, scooting himself over on the seat to make more room between Duo and himself. His own clone followed his example, moving away from Duo as Heero dropped Relena's clone beside the American.

Another tap on his arm drew Heero s attention, and the clone of Zechs looked up at him. "Me too." He said, raising his arms expectantly. Heero lifted him, dropping him on the seat beside Relena's clone.

Heero watched as now three clones, cuddled closer to Duo, their arms wrapped around him and each other. Duo dropped one arm, pulling it around so that he embraced the clones of Relena and Zechs, while his own clone remained on his lap, snuggling against his body for warmth and comfort.

As the minutes went by, Heero repeatedly glanced at Duo and the clones that gathered around him. Soon, he noticed that all of them had drifted off to sleep, including Duo who still held them all in a protective embrace.

Heero sighed and crossed his arms over his chest, turning his head to look straight ahead once again. A sudden small weight landed on his side and he looked down to see his clone leaning against him, the boy's eyes closed in slumber, his small arms crossed over his chest.

A small smirk crossed his face, then Heero leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes. He might as well sleep for the rest of the ride, it seemed to be a good idea.

* * *

Duo snapped awake as the van jolted to a stop. In his lap, Chibi-Duo stretched and yawned. The clones of Relena and Zechs pulled away from him, also yawning. "Guess we kinda drifted off." Duo said, smiling, as he too yawned.

He glanced over at Heero, and saw the Perfect Soldier open his eyes. Then Duo's eyes caught sight of Heero's clone. His smile grew as he saw that the boy was asleep, his small body leaning against Heero. Maybe there was still hope for the kid. Perhaps he wouldn't end up being so cold like Heero was.

"We're here." Trowa announced as he opened his door and stepped out.

Duo stayed where he was and watched as Heero looked down at his clone. Heero reached out, and hesitantly touched his clone's shoulder, gently shaking him. "Wake up." Heero said.

The boy merely blinked his eyes open. He didn't yawn, didn't stretch, just like Heero never did whenever he woke up. Duo didn't know how either of them did it, when he always felt an unbearable urge to yawn immediately after waking up each morning.

Duo, Heero, and all of the clones in the backseat piled out of the van. Then Duo remembered something. He hadn't seen Trowa's clone get out of the van. He looked back, just in time to see the small boy climb into the backseat and lock one of the doors.

"Trowa, I think we have a problem." Duo said, gesturing back to the van, and the boy that had just locked himself in the vehicle.

"Damn! I should have known better." Trowa muttered.

"Don't you have the keys?" Heero asked.

Trowa shook his head. "No, I left them in the ignition. How was I supposed to know he'd do something like this?"

"He is you, Trowa." Duo replied.

Trowa glared at Duo a moment before looking around at the parking garage they were standing in. "There are too many people here." He commented quietly. "He's scared."

Duo looked around after hearing Trowa's words. Sure enough the parking garage of Preventers headquarters was oddly full of people today, way more people than there usually were. Most of the people he saw were mechanics, so Duo assumed that Lady Une must have ordered a check on the vehicles. She did do that every so often.

Duo turned to his clone and smiled. "You stay here, short stuff."

Chibi-Duo looked up at him. "How you gonna get him out?" He asked.

"Don't know. Maybe something will come to me." Duo replied, following Trowa who had walked over to the van.

* * *

Quatre looked curiously out the window as Wufei parked the van in the garage. Everyone was just standing out there, looking at the other van. Something must have happened, he decided.

He turned his head, glancing around at the others that accompanied him in the van. Wufei was driving, Sally sitting beside him in the front passenger seat with the clone of Noin cradled in her arms. And Quatre sat in the backseat with his own clone and the clones of Wufei, Une, and Treize.

All four of the children were asleep. The clones of Wufei and Treize were propped up against each other, while the clone of Une curled against young Treize from the other side. And Quatre's clone was lying on his side, his head resting on Quatre's lap. If the boy knew he was laying like that, he would probably get up right away, saying that he didn't need pity from anyone.

Quatre sighed, brushing his fingers through the blonde's hair as he remembered how he used to act just like that as a child. So much bitterness in his clone, thinking he was less than human for not being born naturally, just as Quatre himself had felt as a child.

Quatre pulled his hand away from the small blonde as the van was slowed to a halt. Silently, he watched as his clone awakened. The boy yawned, wiping at his eyes with his small hands. As soon as he saw where he was, the clone pushed himself up and away from Quatre. His young face hardened into a scowl, as he turned away from Quatre, crossing his arms over his chest.

Quatre sighed and shook his head, turning his attention to the other clones that had also awakened. The clone of Une blushed as she moved away from Treize, while Wufei's clone pushed the other boy away from himself. The clone of Treize pushed back, obviously not appreciating that Wufei's clone had pushed him.

Before a fight could break out, Wufei had opened the backdoor, and pulled his own clone away from Treize, successfully ending the fight before it had started. Quatre opened his own door, stepping out of the van as he wondered why Duo and Trowa were peering into the other van.

"Is there a problem, Maxwell?" Wufei asked, pulling his clone along by his arm. The boy fought him the entire way, glaring back at the clone of Treize every few steps.

Duo sighed. "Yeah. The kid's locked himself inside the van." Duo replied, gesturing toward the aforementioned van. "He's scared . . . at least Trowa said he was."

Trowa pressed his palm to the window. "Open the door." He said kindly, although his voice was laced with some agitation.

Quatre frowned. This was no way to get the boy to come out. If he was frightened enough to lock himself inside the van, they had to calm him down, not frighten him more. "What scared him?" Quatre asked.

"There are too many people here." Trowa replied quietly.

"Then I don't think that all of you crowding around the van will help to get him to come out." He paused, thinking. "Why don't you all go inside and talk with Lady Une, while I handle this? I'm sure she will want a full report from us about what happened on the mission."

"Yes, that would probably be wise." Wufei said, pulling his clone away from the group.

Slowly the others followed Wufei out of the parking garage, except for Trowa. He was still standing by the van, his palm flat against the window as he stared in at his clone. Quatre stepped over, gently laying his hand on Trowa's arm.

"Go on, I can handle this." Quatre said, smiling kindly to the tall young man.

He felt as Trowa's arm tensed under his touch, but brushed it away as nothing when Trowa turned to him, offering a slight smirk as he nodded in reply. Then Trowa turned and walked away, following the others into headquarters to talk with Lady Une.

Once all of the other pilots were out of sight, Quatre turned to the van. He looked through the window, his heart twisting at the sight of the small boy inside. Trowa's clone was sitting on the floor, opposite the door Quatre stood beside, his knees drawn close to his body while his arms were tightly wrapped around his legs. He had his face buried in his knees as his body trembled from fear.

Quatre unknowingly had begun to rub his hand over his own chest, an unconscious attempt on his part to relieve the fear he was sensing from the boy. He placed his other hand on the window, placing a gentle smile on his face as he began to talk. "Will you unlock the door?" He asked.

The boy looked up for a moment and shook his head before burying his face in his knees once again.

"No one will hurt you here." Quatre said, keeping his tone at a soothing level. "Please, open the door?"

Again the boy lifted his head only to shake it, answering negatively to Quatre's attempt.

Quatre felt a twinge in his heart, feeling lost. He wasn't sure how to proceed here. The child was obviously terrified. But what in his memories . . . in Trowa's memories . . . was so painful as to cause this sort of reaction? Something extremely traumatic must have happened. And at the moment, only Trowa and his clone knew what that was.

A thought occurred to Quatre. "Trowa is my friend . . . my very good friend . . . and since you are his clone, I consider you to be no less." That seemed to get the boy's attention. He lifted his gaze once again, this time staring intently at Quatre. "I swear, on my honor, that no one will hurt you if you come out."

Hesitantly, the boy moved forward, his eyes remaining fixed on Quatre the entire time. He placed his shaking hand on the lock, not yet doing anything, just standing there and staring at Quatre as if unsure whether or not to trust him. In the end he unlocked the door, then quickly backed away, his body trembling once again as he sat on the floor.

Quatre slowly opened the door, keeping a kind smile on his face as he climbed into the van. He stayed by the door, not wanting to scare the terrified boy any further. "I won't hurt you." He said, holding a hand out to Trowa's clone. "Come on, let's go inside."

The boy lifted his own hand, hesitantly reaching out and pulling away several times before finally he touched Quatre's fingertips. He pulled back one last time, then slid his hand forward, lightly gripping Quatre's palm.

Quatre smiled again, holding the boy's hand as the two of them got out of the van. Once out of the van, he closed the door behind them, frowning as the clone jumped at the sound. He let go of his hand. "Come on." He said, stepping away.

The clone silently obeyed, following Quatre as he walked away. But Quatre didn't like this. The boy shouldn't follow, he should be treated like an equal. Quatre stopped walking. Obviously the boy hadn't noticed, and he bumped into Quatre from behind.

Quatre looked back, only to frown when he saw the boy cowering on the floor of the hallway, his entire body trembling. He shook his head, wondering what could possibly have frightened him so much. Quatre gently helped the boy to his feet again, keeping his arm on the boy's shoulder as they began to walk again. At least now, the boy had no choice but to walk beside him, as long as Quatre kept his hand on him. But Quatre didn't want to force the boy to walk beside him, so he took his hand off of the boy's shoulder.

As soon as the hand was gone, the boy slowed his pace, trying to lag behind. However, Quatre saw this, and also slowed his pace, not letting him. "You can walk beside me." Quatre said.

The boy looked up at him, his confusion obvious on his face. But still, he didn't say a word.

Quatre smiled down at him. "It's okay, really. You can walk beside me. There's nothing to fear."

The barest hint of a smile on the boy's face caught Quatre's attention. It warmed his heart to no end to see a pleasant expression on the frightened child's face. However, that moment passed quickly, and Quatre looked up hearing an argument coming from a conference room ahead of them.

Trowa met them in the hallway as they approached the conference room. "Thank you." Trowa said, speaking quietly.

Quatre smiled, but any words he might have said were stopped as he heard more arguing coming from the room. The three of them stepped into the room. Quatre shook his head, seeing Lady Une standing by the table in the center of the room, her palms flat against the wooden surface, as she glared at Heero and the others. The clones all stood behind the adults, apparently afraid of Lady Une.

"We couldn't go through with the mission." Duo said, not mentioning what that mission was. "They're just a bunch of kids."

Lady Une stepped around the table, stalking toward Duo and the others, anger seeping from every movement she made. "You were supposed to DESTROY the clones, not ADOPT them!" She shouted, gesturing emphatically.

Quatre looked down, hearing a strangled whimper coming from Trowa's clone. The boy turned and tried to run, only to, literally, bump into Trowa. The sudden stop, caused the boy to lose his balance and he fell back. Quatre watched, worried as the clone scurried backwards, hiding himself under the conference table, the sound of his panicked, gasping breath the only sound in the room now. He sounded as if he would hyperventilate if he continued breathing like that.

"Are you INSANE?" Quatre shouted at Lady Une. "Do you know how difficult it was to get him to trust me enough to unlock the door of that van and accompany me here?"

Quatre looked around, seeing all the surprised expressions of his friends and the children. Obviously none of them thought he had it in him to shout at a superior officer, or to even express his anger in such a loud manner. The look of total shock on his own clone's face proved that theory. Quatre blushed, clearing his throat as he saw that Lady Une actually looked sorry for her harsh words.

Duo shook his head, then turned to Une. "I wasn't about to let a bunch of kids be punished for crimes they haven't committed." He said, picking up his clone and holding the boy close. The clone wrapped his arms around Duo, burying his face against Duo's chest.

"Perhaps my choice of words was bad in this case." Lady Une said. "I apologize for my rash outburst."

"Yes, yelling was not a wise choice . . . for either of us. Please, accept my apologies?" Quatre replied. At Lady Une's silent nod, Quatre turned away, looking at the table that Trowa's clone had scurried underneath.

At some unknown time, Trowa had stepped past Quatre, and was now kneeling beside the table, looking at the boy that was now cowering in fear, his small body hidden slightly by the shadows. Quatre crouched beside Trowa, frowning as the boy began shivering more violently. The boy might not come out on his own this time, not after the statement Lady Une had yelled. He was terrified now, more so than before, most likely under the impression that he was going to be killed.

A hand grasped Quatre s shoulder, and he looked back to see Lady Une standing over him. "Allow me." She said.

Quatre nodded as he and Trowa moved away, watching as Lady Une knelt in front of the table. She kept her knees together and smoothed out the creases in her skirt as she looked at the frightened child.

"Sir, I do hope you will forgive my outburst. I never meant to frighten you. Neither you or the other clones will be hurt or killed." She said, speaking kindly. "Please come out."

Several agonizingly long minutes later the boy crawled out, still trembling as his eyes darted around the room at all the people watching him. Lady Une reached out to touch him, but he pulled away, covering his face as if afraid she might hit him.

"Don't . . ." Trowa warned, as he stepped forward. "Don't touch him."

"Why not?" Lady Une asked.

"Let's just say that he would not react well to the contact and leave it at that." Trowa replied, offering his hand to help Lady Une to her feet.

Lady Une took the offered hand, nodding at Trowa's statement. "Thank you." She said, straightening out her skirt once again, although her eyes remained fixed on the young boy standing in front of her.

Quatre opened his mouth, intending to ask what Trowa had meant. He didn't like secrets, especially when it was so obvious that the child was in pain because of something he remembered . . . something from Trowa's memories. However, before Quatre could speak, Chibi-Duo asked, "You really mean you won't kill us, right? You weren't just lying to get him to come out, were you?"

Lady Une turned her attention away from Trowa's clone to look in Chibi-Duo's direction. "I would never hurt you or any of the other clones. Although I am upset about Duo and the others disobeying my orders, you're here now and you will not be harmed or killed by me or any of my officers."

"Don't worry, short stuff. I wouldn't let anything happen to you or the others." Duo said, tightening his embrace around his clone's small body. The boy eagerly returned the hug, a smile quickly crossing his features.

Quatre smiled, watching the two of them. At least Duo's clone seemed normal, acting like any happy child. The others, however, were a different matter. Most of them were sullen and quiet, Trowa's clone was terrified of people, and Quatre's own clone was bitter and hate-filled.

A movement to his left, drew Quatre's attention and he turned. The body of Trowa's clone was swaying. Quatre watched, worried as the boy's eyes rolled back into his head and his legs buckled. The boy fell and Quatre leapt forward, hoping to catch him before he hit the floor. However, Trowa beat him to it, catching and sweeping the child into his arms in one fluid motion.

Quatre stepped forward, grabbing the wrist of the boy that lay limp in Trowa's arms. As he checked the boy's pulse, he forced one of his eyes to open, concerned for the young clone. Quatre sighed, glad to see that the boy was merely unconscious, no doubt overwhelmed by all the stress of the day.

"Is he okay?" Trowa asked, his voice laced with a hint of concern.

"I guess his system just couldn't handle all of today's stress and he passed out." Quatre commented, taking his hands away from the boy.

"I want all of these clones looked over by Sally. She took that clone of Noin to the infirmary. Once she's given them full physical examinations, get them a shower or something and into clean clothes. They can't go around in your uniforms forever." Lady Une said.

"Yes, Ma am!" Duo said, giving Lady Une a mock salute.

Quatre merely rolled his eyes at Duo's antics. He watched as Trowa shifted the weight of the boy in his arms, still not holding him too tightly, as if he himself was uncomfortable by holding him. He could only hope that whatever plagued the boy wasn't weighing too heavily on Trowa's mind. Quatre hated to see any of his friends in any pain.

* * *

To Be Continued . . .


	3. Part Three

Disclaimers: I own nothing.

Notes: Part three of my Chibi fic. They're still at Preventer's HQ, and now it's time for physical exams and showers. Enjoy.

* * *

Young Hearts

Part Three

* * *

Duo had watched worriedly as Trowa s clone had fainted. Still worried while Quatre had checked him over. He sighed in relief hearing that the boy was just stressed out and unconscious, that it wasn't too serious. At least that was some consolation.

He looked up as Lady Une began to speak. "I want all of these clones looked over by Sally. She took that clone of Noin to the infirmary. Once she's given them full physical examinations, get them a shower or something and into clean clothes. They can't go around in your uniforms forever." She said.

Duo raised his fingers to his forehead, giving her a mock salute, even as he held his own clone with his other arm. "Yes, Ma'am!"

He looked around, seeing all of the clones warily looking at Lady Une. He could see they were afraid of her. And who could blame them after what she had said? Only a few of them still looked calm, Heero's clone for example. That mask of his was already set in place, but maybe it wasn't too late to get him to act like a normal boy, to show his emotions. Duo knew he'd have to work hard on him, possibly even enlist the help of his own clone to get the other boy to lighten up.

A small face peeked out from behind Wufei, a pair of little hands gripping the fabric of the Chinese youth's pants. Smiling quickly, the clone of Relena ducked back behind Wufei.

Duo smiled. "Come on, guys. Let's get going." He said, cheerfully.

He stood by and waited as the others passed by him. Wufei had a strong grip on his clone's arm, while Heero held Treize's clone, keeping the two boys apart. On Heero's other side walked his own clone, while the clone of Relena shyly grabbed Wufei's free hand. Duo just found that very cute for some reason.

Duo suppressed a giggle as he started walking, following the others. He stopped and looked down as he felt someone tugging on his pants. The clone of Une was staring up at him. "What do ya want, darlin'?" Duo asked, keeping a pleasant smile on his face.

The clone of Une glanced to her older self, then back up at Duo. "I don't wanna grow up to be like her. She's mean." The young girl said, in a whisper, apparently talking about Lady Une.

Duo lifted his gaze to his commanding officer, watching as the lovely Lady lowered her gaze to the floor and closed her eyes. He didn't know if she had overheard the child or not. For all he knew she was just thinking of her earlier mistake with Trowa's clone, or just thinking of anything in general. But if she had overheard, it must have hurt her feelings terribly.

Duo looked back down at the girl. "You can grow up to be anything you wanna be, Little Lady." Duo said. "But don't go too rough on Lady Une, she was right to be mad at us for disobeying her orders. Even though I still believe I did the right thing in saving all of you guys."

The little girl smiled up at him. She grasped his hand, and Duo led her away, still carrying in his own clone with his other arm. The boy just laid his head against Duo's shoulder, his small arms wrapped around Duo's neck. He seemed content just to be held by Duo, and Duo was happy to oblige.

Duo just walked along happily, holding the hand of Une's clone, while carrying his own clone, humming to himself. He was ignoring whenever one of the other ex-pilots looked in his direction, rolling their eyes or huffing at him. He was just happy, and felt like humming. Besides, a few of the clones seemed to like it too.

A sudden commotion at the front of the group got Duo s attention. The sound of shrieking filled the air, and several mumbled voices telling someone to calm down. He pushed his way past the other guys and clones, losing his hold on the hand of Une's clone.

Finally, he saw what was going on. Trowa's clone had apparently awakened, and was now thrashing around in Trowa's arms, squealing and causing a major raucous, pounding his small fists against Trowa in a desperate attempt to get away from him. He was acting as if Trowa was physically hurting him, while Quatre was trying to calm the boy with soft-spoken words that did little to ease his fear.

Eventually, after it was apparent that Quatre's tactic of trying to calm the boy with words was not working, Trowa just put the boy down. The clone stepped back several paces, until his back hit a wall, then he slid down to the floor, wrapping his arms about himself as he shivered.

Quatre slowly approached him, crouching before the boy. Duo couldn't quite hear the blonde's whispered words from where he was, but it was obviously working since the young clone began to calm down. Slowly the tremors going through his body stopped, and he looked up at Quatre, eyes sparkling with fresh tears that also ran down his flushed cheeks.

Something felt off, and Duo turned, an odd feeling of foreboding causing a shiver to run along his spine. He looked around, trying to figure out what was wrong, why he suddenly felt extremely nervous. There was something missing, he decided. He didn't know how he knew, but he just knew it. After doing a quick head count, he realized that it was one of the clones. Someone was definitely missing. And once he realized who it was, he gasped.

"Heero, we have a problem." He announced, unable to keep the worry out of his voice.

"What?" Heero asked, sounding annoyed.

Duo cleared his throat. "Uh . . . Your clone is missing."

Heero spun, as did Trowa, Quatre, and several of the clones, all looking to see if Duo was telling the truth. Sure enough, Heero's clone was not with them.

"Damn." Heero muttered. "He used this little incident as a distraction to escape. I should have seen it coming."

"What do you mean? Are you saying he planned this?" Quatre asked.

"He feels just as I would in this situation. He views this as being captured by an enemy, and is no doubt looking for a possible means of escape at this moment. We do not have time to discuss this." Heero replied.

"Fine. Then we better start a search." Trowa said.

Quatre stood. "I'll take the clones to the infirmary, while you three do a search. I'll inform Sally of the situation and have her call for some help."

"Thanks, Quatre." Duo said, kneeling to put his clone down. He turned the boy to face him. "You go with Quatre, little man. I'll be back as soon as I can."

The boy nodded, although Duo could see the apprehension in his eyes. Duo sighed as he stood, ruffling the bangs on his clone's head before backing away.

He turned quickly, not waiting for anyone to say anything else. He had to find that clone before the boy did something foolish. A clone of Heero, alone in a base. That was probably a very dangerous thing.

Over ten minutes later, Duo was still walking through the hallways, having no luck in finding Heero's clone. The boy was very good at hiding, already a trained killer probably. He knew that Heero himself had started his training early, much earlier than Duo had.

Something caught Duo's eye and he slowed his pace. The door to an emergency weapon's locker was hanging open, the hinges pried apart. This was bad. Not only was the clone loose in the base, but he had a gun too. Duo sighed, looking around for any sign of where the boy could be. A door, not five feet away from him was slightly open.

"Must be where he went." Duo whispered under his breath.

Cautiously, he approached the door, pushing it open and carefully stepping into the dark room. He reached out and flicked on the light. Right in front of him, pointing a gun directly at his face, was Heero's clone.

"Don't come any closer." The boy ordered.

"Hey, kid. No need for weapons here. Just give me the gun." Duo replied, slowly stepping closer, and holding out his hand for the weapon.

"The safety on this weapon is off. I suggest that you stop approaching, or I will be forced to fire." The clone said calmly. It was eerie how much he sounded like Heero.

Duo stopped in his tracks. "Fine, fine." Duo said, raising his hands above his head. He sat on the floor, not too far away from the door, his legs crossed in front of him. "What do you plan to do now, little man?"

"You are my hostage. I plan on escaping this elaborate lie you've conjured. If I have to, I will kill you, and leave your body in a more public place as a way to distract my captors while I escape with a car from the parking garage we first entered when we got here." Heero's clone said, his voice remaining calm throughout his statement.

Duo gulped, believing every word the boy had said. It was plainly obvious that he had meant each and every word. He lowered his hands, dropping the foolish act that he was calm, when he knew this boy could kill him any minute now.

* * *

Heero walked through the hallways, checking each and every weapon's locker he came to. He knew that if it were him all those years ago, he would have tried to find a weapon as quickly as possible. Next would be a suitable hiding place until he could formulate a plan. It was actually quite simple for Heero to understand his clone, he was acting just as Heero had when he had been a child.

Finally, he found a weapon's locker that had been pried open. After checking it, he saw that one weapon and several ammo clips were missing. Quickly glancing around himself, he looked for a possible route that his clone had taken. He spied a door, opened just a crack.

As he approached the slightly opened door, he heard voices coming from inside. It was Duo. "Okay . . . let me get this straight. Your plan is to kill me and use my body as a distraction while you escape using a car. Am I right?" Duo asked.

"Correct." The voice of Heero's clone replied.

"For a little guy, you have some big plans. Do you even know where you are? How will you even reach the pedals of the car? What will you do for money? Do you know anyone on this planet?" Duo babbled. Heero could tell that the American was frightened, it was just something in his voice.

"You talk too much." The clone said, followed by the sound of an ominous clicking sound. Heero knew that was the sound of a gun being cocked. "I could kill you here and now and get another hostage."

Heero wasn't about to let Duo get killed. He pushed the door open, slowly stepping into the room. The boy immediately trained his gun on Heero, and Duo turned back to look at him. "Hey, Heero. Glad you could make it."

"Duo." Heero greeted with a slight nod.

"Take a seat. Me and the little man here are just chatting." Duo said, speaking cheerfully, although Heero could tell it was all just an act.

Heero fought against the urge to draw his own weapon and just shoot the clone. He knew he couldn't hurt the boy. That was not a suitable option. It would only serve to convince the boy that he was right in assuming that he had been captured by an enemy force. Besides, Heero didn't like the idea of hurting a child, even if he was a threat.

_A little girl, handing him a small flower as a little dog wagged its tail happily at him._

Heero shook his head, driving the errant thoughts from his mind. No, now was not the time to remember the past. The boy was obviously under the assumption that he had been lied to, that he was not a clone. Heero had to convince him otherwise. But how, he wondered, without giving away personal information in front of Duo?

Heero closed the door behind himself, taking a cautious step into the room. Then he sat beside Duo, crossing his legs in front of himself, just as Duo was sitting. "What do you think you are doing?" He asked the clone, glaring slightly at the boy while he surveyed his movements, looking for any indication of a weakness that could be exploited.

"I am going to escape." The boy replied.

"To go where? Odin Lowe will not be waiting for you out there. He has been dead for years, over a decade." Heero calmly replied.

"That's not true. I don't believe you." The boy said, a slight wavering in his voice.

Good, Heero thought. The boy was having doubts. This could be used to Heero's advantage. If he could just find proof that what he said was true, he could convince the boy. But what proof did he have?

"It is true. You are just a clone, created in a lab by scientists." Heero said, leaving out the part about those scientists wanting to use him and the others for purposes other than good.

Duo slapped Heero's arm. "He is not JUST a clone. He's a kid. There's no point in making him feel as if he's worth less than a natural born person. He's got feelings you know." Duo hissed.

Heero noticed that the boy was staring intently at Duo. Obviously something the American had said had gained his attention. In one quick motion, Heero stood, rising to his feet, to stare down at the boy. He felt as Duo also stood, standing to one side and just behind Heero.

"My choice of words may have been wrong, but it doesn't change the facts. He is a clone, and his memories are mine. He just refuses to accept that."

"I don't believe you." The boy said, his voice lowered to a whisper as he glared at both Duo and Heero. "You're trying to trick me into giving up this weapon. You're lying."

"Hey kid," Duo said, his hand gripping Heero's shoulder. "I may run and hide, but I never tell a lie. And believe me, whatever Heero tells you is a fact. He's just not the type to tell anything but the truth, no matter how painful it sounds sometimes."

Heero sighed, realizing that he would have to talk about something personal. He had to let the boy know that he wasn't lying, and the only way to do that was to tell him something that only he himself would know. He opened his mouth, trying to gain the courage to admit his own past in front of another person, and for a moment nothing came out. Then he finally let the words fall from his mouth.

"You have dreams of a woman with long dark hair, smiling and dancing . . . your mother. But you can never remember her face." Heero began, not speaking of how the dreams had always turned to nightmares ending with that same woman covered in blood and a child screaming. Those dreams had long ago ended, but the memories of them remained.

"That would be an obvious assumption. It is natural for young children separated from their parents by unknown circumstances to dream of them, usually their mothers." The boy countered.

Heero nodded, that was true. He thought of something else, and decided to try again. "You were ill recently, correct?"

The boy nodded. "Yes. But that does not matter now."

"Odin Lowe took care of you. It was the first time he had shown any kindness toward you, or treated you as more than just a tool to be used to his advantage."

"Again, an obvious assumption. Since I was ill, someone must have taken care of me. And since Odin Lowe is an assassin by trade, you assume that he is uncaring by nature." The boy replied, once again shooting down Heero's attempt at convincing him that he was a clone.

"Come on, Heero. Try something a little more personal." Duo whispered, lightly jabbing Heero in the ribs with one of his elbows.

"I am tiring of this. If you cannot give me one good reason not to kill you both, I will have no alternative but to fire." Heero's clone said, aiming the gun at Duo once again.

Heero glanced to the floor. Then he looked back to the clone, his eyes settling on the gun for just a moment. He had an idea of what to say, but was reluctant. If Duo found out, Heero was sure to be laughed at for this. It was just so embarrassing for a soldier to admit. Heero took a deep breath, deciding that he had to say it, or else be killed by his own clone.

"You can't stand the smell of gunpowder." Heero admitted. "You never told Odin Lowe or anyone else, for fear of being replaced and abandoned."

"You're KIDDING! Aren't you?" Duo gasped.

Heero closed his eyes. "Why do you think I rarely fire my weapon? I carry a gun, but I only use it when there is no other alternative."

"Wish I d known that when you came to get me outta that OZ prison." Duo muttered.

Heero shrugged. "It wasn't something you needed to know."

"Must also be why Relena's still breathing. Guess if you didn't have that little problem, you would have shot her the first time she got in your way."

"If I remember correctly, you shot me before I could get the opportunity to pull the trigger." Heero replied, the clone's presence totally forgotten for a few brief moments.

"Well, if I had known she would always follow you around and endanger missions with her obsession of you . . ." Duo began, but he shut up when a slight whimpering sound drew both Heero and Duo's attention.

Heero stared, wide-eyed at the sight of his clone. He definitely hadn't expected this sort of reaction. The boy was trembling, the gun he clutched in his hands was shaking, as he had obviously been convinced that he truly was a clone.

However, now that he saw the boy's reaction, he understood it. In the clone's memories, in his own memories, his whole life had been centered on having order and predictability. Having everything he thought he knew become a lie, telling him that he had not lived any of his experiences himself, and there would be nothing but confusion left.

The boy's bottom lip started quivering, his eyes beginning to glisten. Behind him, Heero heard Duo gasp. Apparently the American was also shocked to see so much emotion from the boy. But Heero kept his gaze locked on the boy in front of him.

The young clone's legs gave out from underneath him and he slumped to the floor, dropping his arms. The gun he held in his hands made a slight clattering against the hard floor, although he didn't drop it.

Duo rushed past Heero, quickly dropping to his knees in front of the boy. He pried the gun from the boy's fingers, putting it on the floor and sliding it away from them. Heero just watched, unsure of what to do, as Duo wrapped his arms around the now sobbing child.

"I'm not real." The boy whimpered, keeping his arms at his sides.

"That's not true," Duo said, his hands stroking the child's back as he gently rocked back and forth. "You're real. Just because the circumstances of your birth are different from most people . . . it doesn't make you any less of a person."

The boy was still sobbing, trying to suck in large gulps of air as he fought his tears. He slowly raised his trembling arms, hesitantly wrapping them around Duo. "I'm sorry." He whispered, gently embracing Duo.

"Nothing to be sorry about, kid." Duo replied, continuing with the soothing actions, rocking back and forth, cradling and caressing the boy.

For several minutes they stayed that way, Heero just watching the two of them. He wondered what it felt like to be held by Duo. Already his clone was able to experience something he longed to do, something he could never admit to, or ever attempt. He was privileged enough to feel the warmth of Duo's body, to be held and touched by the beautiful American. Heero sighed, a hint of jealousy creeping into his heart at the sight of them. He knew he would never get to feel that, to be held like that.

Heero stepped forward, seeing that the clone's arms had fallen away from Duo's body. Duo looked down, just as Heero leaned over to get a look at the boy himself. The child was asleep, his face still damp with tears.

Slowly, Heero reached out, and lifted the boy from Duo's arms. "Let's get going." Heero said, holding the boy as carefully as he could. He started walking, not looking back to see if Duo was following or not. He pushed away the thoughts of Duo's warm body, not wanting to wonder about the feeling of the American's arms. He knew it would never happen, so why dwell on it?

* * *

To Be Continued . . .


	4. Part Four

Disclaimers: I don t own anything.

Notes: Another part of my long Chibi fic. Enjoy.

* * *

Young Hearts

Part Four

* * *

Duo followed Heero down the hallway, watching the small boy that the Japanese youth carried in his arms. He was concerned, to say the least. It was obvious that the boy would have trouble dealing with the fact that he was a clone. That had already been proven by the way he had reacted when he began to actually believe it.

The boy had broken down and cried. Duo, of course, had comforted him, while Heero had just stood there, staring at them. At least the boy still had emotions, Duo thought. And he was sure that Heero had them too, perhaps buried deeply within himself, but they were there. Duo just wished he knew how he could get Heero to show some emotion, any emotion.

He sighed, looking down at the gun he was carrying. He had picked it up when Heero was walking out of the room. Well, he couldn't just leave it lying on the floor.

Duo thought back on how Heero had gotten the kid to believe he really was a clone. It had been surprising, hearing all of that coming from Heero. The stuff about the dreams he had of his mother, the time he spent with Odin, the fact that he didn't like the smell of gunpowder. It was just so much to take in at once. Heero rarely ever said anything about himself, and here Duo had gotten more information in five minutes, just listening while he talked to his clone, than Duo had been able to get over the past three years, by trying to get Heero to talk to him. It was a major shot to his ego.

He looked up and noticed that he was just a few steps away from the infirmary. How long had he been thinking to himself anyway? It didn't really matter. He just shook his head, clearing his thoughts as he put a smile on his face. There was no need to upset the kids. He had to at least pretend to be happy for their sakes.

Quatre and Wufei stepped over as Heero and Duo walked into the room. Apparently, Trowa hadn't come back from his search yet.

"Is he okay?" Quatre asked, gesturing to the boy that Heero was carrying.

"He passed out." Heero simply replied. "He should be fine."

"Here, Quatre. Do something with this, buddy." Duo said, tossing the weapon over to the blonde.

Quatre caught it, gasping when he saw what it was. "He had this?"

"Yup. Luckily Heero talked him out of using it though." Duo said, slapping Heero on the back.

Heero just grunted, laying his clone on a nearby examination table. He moved his hands over the clone s body as if searching for something. Then he reached into one of the pockets of the shirt the clone was currently wearing, and pulled out two ammunition clips. He handed them over to Quatre.

"You came back!" A happy voice squealed.

Duo looked down, just in time to see his own clone run over and throw his arms around Duo's legs. Duo noticed Sally standing near where the clone had been, and assumed that he had just been examined by her. "Of COURSE I came back! I said I would. And you know as well as I do, that I NEVER lie!" Duo replied, leaning over and sweeping his clone into his arms.

The clone raised one eyebrow, looking at him with a curious expression. "I don't mean to insult ya, but I know I don't lie. I don't know if YOU do or not." The boy replied.

"I ain't insulted. I guess I am a stranger to ya." Duo replied, stepping further into the room, carrying his clone in his arms.

Duo looked around the room. He saw several of the clones curled up in chairs, most of them clinging to another clone. The clones of Une and Treize were leaning against each other, both asleep. The clones of Relena, Wufei, and Zechs were doing the same, with Relena's clone in the middle of the three of them.

He sighed, seeing the clone of Quatre, his small body curled up on one of the chairs that lined the wall, shivering in his sleep. He wasn't leaning up against anybody, wasn't sitting anywhere near the other clones or adults. He looked cold, all by himself, his arms around his body, his knees pressed to his chest. Duo hoped that boy would let someone into his heart, if only so he wouldn't grow up to be a bitter person.

Duo got an idea, and whispered it quietly to the clone he held tightly in his arms. The little boy looked over at the chair, then turned back to Duo and smiled. "Okay." He answered, nearly giggling as Duo set him down on the floor.

Duo's clone jogged over to the chair that Quatre s clone was currently curled up on, Duo following behind him just a bit slower. Still, the two of them reached the chair at about the same time. Duo gently and slowly lifted Quatre's clone, hoping that the boy was just as much of a heavy sleeper as his older self was. He smiled, remembering countless times when it had nearly taken an earthquake to wake Quatre up.

The blonde clone groaned, but didn't awaken. Duo just held him, watching as his own clone climbed up into the seat. Then he arranged it so that Quatre's clone was wrapped in Chibi-Duo's arms, safe from falling off of the chair as they were both laying down. As soon as Duo let go of Quatre's clone, the boy rolled over in his sleep, wrapping his arms around Duo's clone, curling closer to the source of warmth. Duo couldn't help but smile at the reaction.

"Thank you." Duo whispered, smiling at his clone.

Chibi-Duo just smiled up at him, then closed his eyes snuggling against the boy he was holding securely in his arms.

Duo stepped back, and turned away from the adorable scene. Quatre was standing in front of him. He was smiling, and Duo returned the smile cheerfully. "What's up, Quatre?" He asked.

"Thank you, Duo." Quatre said, gesturing to the two clones curled up together.

"No problem, buddy." He paused, a thought occurring to him. "One question Q-man. Just why is your clone like that? It's okay if you don't wanna answer. I don't want ya getting upset if it's too personal and you don't wanna tell me." Duo said, knowing full well that he was rambling.

Quatre held up his hands, stopping Duo from continuing. "It's okay, Duo. I don't mind talking about it." Quatre said. He took in a deep breath, pausing a moment before he spoke again. "I was not a happy child. Since I was born in a test tube, I was constantly teased by other children for not being born naturally and as a defense I began teasing back. Out of anger at my own kindness, not understanding why I was nice when no one else returned the feeling, I acted out in anger, hurting people before they could hurt me. I felt myself worthless, less than human."

"Jeez, Quatre. I just kinda assumed you had a relatively easy life." Duo admitted. "Sorry bout that."

"No need to be sorry." Quatre replied, smiling.

Duo opened his mouth, intending one more time to apologize. It just wasn't right that he had made assumptions of Quatre's life. However, before he could open his mouth, a sharp shriek filled the air. Duo quickly took a glance around, to his relief seeing that the noise hadn't awakened any of the children. Then he looked to the source of the sound, Trowa's clone.

The clone of Trowa was up on one of the examination tables, looking warily at Sally who held a syringe in her hand. Every time she would try and touch him, he'd back away or dodge her. She looked to be getting quite frustrated with his actions.

"Hey, Sally. What's the problem?" Duo asked, smiling as he approached the table.

"Well, this young man just doesn't seem to want me to take a blood sample." Sally replied, sighing. "I've finished examining the other clones, except for Heero's. But he just won't let me touch him."

Duo hopped up onto the table, sitting beside Trowa's clone. The boy was scared again, it was obvious. Well, they had to calm him down, to show him that he wasn't going to be hurt. "That true, buddy?" Duo asked, grinning at the shivering boy. "Well, don't worry. Sally here would never hurt ya."

The boy looked up at Duo, his disbelief apparent on his young face.

Duo turned his attention to Sally, as he rolled up the sleeve of his shirt. "Hey, Sally, you got another one of those?" He asked, gesturing to the syringe in her hand.

"Yeah. I do, Duo." She replied, thankfully understanding what Duo had in mind.

"See, kid. It ain't so bad." Duo said, forcing himself not to flinch as the needle penetrated his skin. "It doesn't hurt, not really. She's only trying to make sure you're healthy, and wants to get a look at your blood. Wanna let her do her job?"

Trowa's clone silently nodded. Slowly, he stretched out his arm, flinching as Sally gripped his wrist firmly. Duo could see him shivering as Sally pressed the needle into his arm. Undoubtedly, this was very frightening to him, although Duo wasn't quite sure why. He had a suspicion, but unless the boy or Trowa actually told him, he couldn't be sure whether he was right or not.

Sally examined Trowa's clone, doing everything to Duo first to lessen the fear the boy felt. Duo didn't mind, if it helped the boy even a little. He looked up, spying movement across from him. He watched as Heero's clone slowly opened his eyes, pushing himself to a sitting position as he wearily rubbed at his eyes.

"I see you found him." Trowa's voice called out, from the doorway. "It would have been nice to have been informed."

"Sorry, Trowa. Guess we just kinda forgot about ya." Duo replied, smiling.

Trowa merely huffed at him, stepping over to a nearby wall and leaning against it, crossing his arms over his chest. Duo just kept watching him, grinning once again as he noticed that Trowa was intently staring at his clone, watching the boy as if concerned for his safety. It was nice to know that Trowa cared for something, other than that circus he had spent time at.

"Done." Sally said, stepping back away from the examination table.

Duo hopped off the table, then looked to Trowa's clone. The boy was still sitting there, peering over the side of the table. It was a long way down, at least for him it was. And he looked reluctant to jump.

"Need some help?" Duo asked.

The boy looked up at him, just staring at him for several seconds until he slowly nodded his assent and raised his arms. Duo picked him up and set him on the floor. The boy silently walked to the nearest corner and sat on the floor, pulling his knees to his chest and wrapping his arms around himself.

Duo stepped over to an empty chair and sat. He impatiently waited while Sally finished with her last patient, Heero's clone. While he was waiting, he noticed that most of the clones had woken up, although a few still slept soundly.

As soon as Sally was done, Duo stood. "Let's go already. I'll take the kids to the showers. Quatre, you'll help me? Right, buddy?"

"Of course." Quatre smiled.

"I suppose I can arrange for some food. They probably are hungry." Wufei said.

"I'll get clothes for them." Heero huffed.

Trowa moved away from his place at the wall. "I'll assist Heero."

Before Duo could open his mouth to tell them to get going, Sally interrupted. "I'll take care of the girls, Duo. At least that way you'll have fewer children to worry about. You boys can use the showers in the locker room."

Duo nodded to her, grateful to not have to worry about the girls. What if they had needed help? He just wouldn't have felt right going into a shower with a little girl. It just seemed wrong to him for some reason, especially since the two girls were clones of the former Queen of the World and of his commanding officer.

* * *

Only minutes later, Duo stood in the locker room, looking around. Quatre stood next to him, the clones of the boys in front of the two of them. Quatre's clone was scowling, upset over waking up in Chibi-Duo's arms. Duo had sighed at the way the little blonde boy had pushed away Chibi-Duo, not liking that reaction in the least. It wasn't kind, and Chibi-Duo was undoubtedly affected by it. Duo knew how much his clone craved human contact, at least he had at that age, so it must have been painful to the boy to just be pushed away so roughly.

"Okay, we're going to need shampoo, and soap, and towels." Duo said, looking around him. He walked over to his own locker and opened it. Inside were his clothes, the set he had worn to work that day, just his usual priest's garb today and his favorite leather jacket. There were also some other clothes folded up at the bottom of the locker, in case of emergencies, a pair of pants, a T-shirt, and an extra pair of boxers. You never knew when you might need to change clothes with this job. There was also a hairbrush, and a couple of spare elastic bands for his hair.

Sighing, Duo started peeling off his own clothes, taking off his shirt first. Quatre stepped over to him. "What are you doing?" The blonde asked, putting his hand over Duo's to stop him from unbuttoning the shirt.

Duo glanced at his clone a moment, then looked back at Quatre. He leaned closer, to whisper to his friend, slightly embarrassed about admitting this. "Uh . . . my clone wouldn't have the slightest idea of what to do in a shower. You remember me telling you how the water was rationed on L-2? Well, I didn't have my first shower until Professor G found me. All I got before that was a couple quick baths a few times a year, if I was lucky."

"Oh . . . I see." Quatre replied.

"Besides, someone should go in there to make sure no fights break out." Duo replied, smiling this time and gesturing toward the clones of Wufei and Treize. Those two just did not look like they could get along. At the moment they were just glaring at each other. But who knew how long it would be before they resorted to more violent actions?

"You're right." Quatre agreed. "I'll go get everything they'll need ready."

"Thanks, Q-man." Duo said.

Duo resumed unbuttoning his shirt. He dropped it on the bench that ran between the rows of lockers. Then he sat and pulled off his boots and shoes, finally taking off his pants. He left his boxers on, deciding that he didn't want to scare any of the kids, and if he was right about Trowa's clone, Duo knew that seeing him without clothes would definitely scare the hell out of the poor boy.

As Duo got up and approached the group of clones, Quatre stepped back into the room. "Everything's ready, Duo. I'll be waiting out here. Call me if you need me."

"Thanks." Duo replied. Then he turned to the children, all of which had taken off the oversized clothes that the guys had given to them. "Come on . . . shower time."

Duo walked into the large white shower room, the seven clones following behind him. Trowa's clone seemed apprehensive . . . scratch that . . . terrified about taking a shower with the others. "Gentlemen . . . this is the shower room." He turned to face them, and took on the tone of a flight attendant. "We ask that you refrain from running or fighting while in here. Also no eating, drinking, or flash photography. There is only one setting to the showers, and some of you might find that it isn't as warm as you d like it to be. I ve been TRYING for warmer water . . . believe me."

He reached over and tugged at one of the curtains for the benefit of Trowa's clone. "Should you feel the need for privacy, these lovely curtains pull all the way around." He proceeded to demonstrate by pulling the curtain around to form a small 3 x 3 stall. "To reduce the possibility of fighting, you will go where I direct you. Each of you will find a toiletry bag, a bath towel, and a bar of soap on a rope hanging on the bars in front of you."

Before he directed any of the clones, Duo hit the control that would turn the showers on. "Okay . . . we have twenty minutes before the water turns off." Rather than call the clones by name, he walked to each boy and pointed to an area, making sure he separated the clones of Treize and Wufei so that they were as far apart as possible, and making sure that his own clone stood between the clones of Heero and Zechs . . . just in case. He was hardly surprised when Trowa's clone pulled the curtain around himself.

"Anyone have any questions?"

A number of negative answers replied to his question. He glanced down as his own clone tapped him. "What's up, little man?" He asked, kneeling down so that he could look Chibi-Duo in the eyes.

Chibi-Duo smiled a little, out of what appeared to be a mixture of shyness and embarrassment. "Ummm . . . YOU know . . ."

Duo nodded. "I could use a shower myself." He pulled the elastic bands out of both his braid, and his clone's. "Let's get started. Wait until we get to where we're going to be staying . . . wherever that is . . . I can't wait to introduce you to the wonders of bubble baths!"

"Bubble baths?" Chibi-Duo frowned, his face scrunching up in curiosity.

Duo chuckled. "Don't worry, you'll find out soon enough. And I have no doubt that you'll love it."

Duo reached over and grabbed the washcloth and soap. He stepped into the stream of water, noticing that his clone stayed right beside him the entire time, watching every move he made. Duo quickly lathered up the washcloth with the soap.

"Okay . . . you got your soap . . ." He handed the soap on a rope to his clone. "And you got your washcloth. As you ve seen, I've already gotten it all soapy. You just take the washcloth and scrub yourself. Basically, it's just like a bath, but you don't sit down." Duo said, a huge grin on his face the entire time as he demonstrated by rubbing the washcloth over his own chest.

"Okay." The boy replied, rolling his eyes a little. He did know some things, wasn't totally without bathing experience, but Duo was really just joking with him. By his reaction, Duo knew that the boy had realized this. If the boy had been mad, his reaction would not have been to simply roll his eyes, that much Duo was sure of.

Duo took this moment to look around and make sure the others were doing okay. As far as he could tell, none of the other clones were having a problem. Of course, he couldn't be sure about Trowa's clone since the boy had pulled the curtain around himself.

"Now what?" Chibi-Duo asked, pulling Duo's attention back to him.

"Now, we wash our hair." Duo replied, grabbing the shampoo. He knew, that his clone really had no experience in washing his own hair. Sister Helen had always done it for him when he was that age, and he hadn t really washed his hair before getting to the Maxwell Church, except for that one time when Solo . . . Duo shook his head, stopping the thought before the memory could cross his mind. He didn't want to dwell in the past at this moment. He wanted to concentrate on now, and the clone beside him.

Duo looked at the label on the shampoo bottle and saw that it was one of those two in one shampoo and conditioners. He didn't usually like using them, but it would have to do for now. He d just have to buy better stuff for his clone later.

"Okay, make sure your hair's wet." He turned his back to the spray, wetting his hair as quickly as he could. Then he stepped back, giving his clone room to do the same. He popped the bottle open. "Give me your hands."

Chibi-Duo didn't hesitate. He held both of his small hands out to Duo, cupping them. Duo poured some of the shampoo into the boy's waiting hands. Then Duo poured some into his own hand and put the bottle back where he had gotten it.

"Now, wash your hair . . . Like this." Duo smiled, lifting his hands to his head and working the shampoo into a good lather. He then ran it down through the length of his wet hair, washing it thoroughly.

While he worked on his own hair, he watched his clone, making sure the boy was doing okay. Chibi-Duo seemed to have gotten the hang of it. Once done, Duo rinsed his hair, then helped his clone to do the same.

"That's it." Duo said. "Shower's done."

"That was fun. I like showers." The boy replied.

"You just like the water." Duo shot back, teasingly. He grabbed the towel as he and his clone stepped away from the spray of water, making sure it didn't get wet.

Duo knelt down and wrapped the towel around Chibi-Duo's body. The boy giggled as Duo rubbed the soft fabric over his body.

"Everybody done?" Duo asked, looking around at the other boys.

Since none of them, except the clone of Zechs, had to worry about washing long hair, they had all finished before Duo and his clone. Even Trowa's clone was done, standing near the door with the other boys . . . not too close to them . . . his towel wrapped securely around his body. The other clones had their towels around themselves in a similar fashion, although not so protective of the bit of cloth.

"Waiting for me?" Duo asked, looking at the faces of each boy. Several affirmative nods answered his question. Duo smiled at that. "Let's get going and see if Heero and Trowa have gotten here with your clothes yet." He said, although he wanted to get himself a towel too.

As he stepped back into the locker room, Duo glanced around. He noticed that there were seven piles of clothing sitting on the bench. Heero and Trowa must have arrived while he was in the shower with the kids. Before Duo could open his mouth and ask Quatre for a towel, something was thrust in front of him. He stopped short, blinking to see what was in front of him. It was just what he had wanted, a towel.

"Thanks." Duo said, as he took the towel. Then he noticed that Heero was the one that had given it to him.

"Do you always take a shower with your shorts on?" Heero asked, one corner of his mouth quirking into a small smirk.

"Was that a joke?" Duo gasped, placing his hand over his chest as he feigned shock.

Heero simply turned and walked away. Duo watched as he left the locker room, not knowing where Heero was headed. He looked back to see where the clones were, and saw that Quatre and Trowa had herded the small group over to the clothes.

Duo shook his head, rubbing the towel over himself as he stepped over to his locker. Once he was sufficiently dried, he got dressed, putting on a dry pair of boxers and his priest's garb. Then he fixed his hair into its usual braid after brushing it. As he finished tying his boots, a small hand tapped on his shoulder.

"Will you braid my hair again?" Chibi-Duo asked in a quiet voice. He was dressed, wearing a simple pair of jeans and a plain, gray, sweatshirt and white sneakers.

"Sure thing, kid." Duo replied.

Smiling, the boy turned his back to Duo, allowing him to run a brush through the slightly tangled hair. Then he separated it into equal sections and quickly braided it, securing the braid at the end with a small elastic band.

"Why are you wearing that?" The boy asked, while Duo was braiding his hair. "I remember havin' to wear something similar and it was itchy and hot and altogether uncomfortable."

"I got used to wearing it after a while . . . and now I use cotton for these outfits, not wool like the ones I had to wear at the church." Duo replied. He hoped the boy wouldn't ask any questions about the church or Sister Helen. Duo just didn't think he could handle bringing up the past yet, and the boy certainly wouldn't be able to deal with it yet.

Duo looked around and saw that the others were ready and waiting. "We all ready to eat?" Duo asked, loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Yeah." Several of the clones replied.

"Well, then let's go find Wufei and see if he's got any food for us." Duo said. He grabbed his leather jacket out of the locker, then closed it. He did hope Wufei had gotten food for the kids, no need to have them starve, and he was sure they were hungry.

* * *

To Be Continued . . .


	5. Part Five

Disclaimers: I own nothing, not a thing.

Notes: The clones have lunch. Quatre has a talk with his own clone.

* * *

Young Hearts

Part Five

* * *

Heero walked through the halls, wondering to himself what was wrong with him. He had made a joke, had been pleasant to Duo. Why the hell had he let down his guard like that? He sighed, continuing to walk, eventually ending up at the cafeteria.

Wufei was standing near the counter, looking over all the food choices with a confused expression on his face. Heero stepped over to him. "Having a problem?" Heero asked.

Wufei nodded slightly. "Yes, I do not know what these children would like to eat." He sighed. "I will have no problem choosing something suitable for my own clone, but the others would probably not like what I choose."

"Then perhaps it would be best to wait for the clones to get here." Heero stated.

Wufei nodded, then the two of them walked over to a nearby table and sat. Heero closed his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest as he sat, patiently waiting. He was in no hurry.

Only minutes later, Duo strolled in with the boys, Trowa and Quatre close behind them. Shortly after that, Sally also walked into the cafeteria, the female clones, except for the one of Noin, following behind her. The girls were dressed identically as the boys, just wearing simple jeans and sweatshirts with plain sneakers. Heero stood as Duo walked in, although he purposely avoided meeting his gaze, not wanting to look into those beautiful eyes again.

"Okay, everybody line up." Duo announced, clapping his hands together. He turned and gestured to Trowa, Quatre, Wufei, and Heero. "You guys too, right next to your clones. We all might as well get something to eat."

Duo smiled, as everyone complied. He arranged it so that he was next to his own clone and that they stayed at the end of the line with the ones that didn't have their adult counterparts to help them. Heero kept an eye on Duo and the others, even after he had gotten the food for himself and his own clone, just a simple dish of rice and steamed vegetables, but it would do. He also saw that Wufei had gotten the same for his clone and himself as Heero had.

Trowa moved through the line, his clone glancing around nervously as he walked behind his older self. Trowa quietly ordered two bowls of chicken soup and nothing else. Heero couldn't help but be concerned by that. It just didn't seem like it was enough food, for either the clone or Trowa. However, Heero wouldn't pry into matters that were of no concern to him.

Quatre was next, smiling as he leaned over and asked his clone what he would like. The small blonde looked up at Quatre with disbelief in his eyes, as if he hadn't been expected to be asked for his own opinion. The blonde clone placed his hands on the counter and stood on his tiptoes, just barely able to see over the top of the counter. He was much smaller than the others, making him seem younger somehow. "That." He pointed, to which Quatre giggled, looking at the item the clone had wanted. It was a sloppy joe, something that would probably end up all over the front of his clothes, but still Quatre put up no argument and got it for the clone and himself. Heero smirked at the grin the smaller blonde now wore, although it had only been for a brief moment.

"What do you want?" Duo asked Une's clone, when it was their turn in line.

The clone of Une thought for a moment, then spoke quietly. "Tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich, please." She smiled.

Duo nodded, then turned to Treize. "How bout you?"

"Pizza." Came the immediate response from the boy. The clones of Zechs and Relena gave the same reply.

Chibi-Duo tugged on Duo's pant leg, gaining his attention. "What's that?" He asked, pointing over the counter, which he himself could barely see over. He was almost as small as Quatre's clone.

Duo smiled. "That, my little man, is a cheeseburger. Want one?"

Duo's clone nodded, smiling. "Yeah."

"A cheeseburger it is then . . . I think I'll have one too, with a side of fries for each of us. Sound good?" Duo grinned.

Chibi-Duo nodded unsurely.

Duo quickly got everyone's food, and walked over to a table, setting out each clone's food before he sat himself in a seat. Heero just watched as everyone ate, smiling as some of the kids seemed to have trouble with their food. Une's clone ate happily, swinging her legs over the edge of her chair. The clone of Relena was poking at her slice of pizza, but then ate it, a smile spreading on her face as she did so.

His eyes were drawn over to Quatre and his clone, watching as the child tried to take a bite of his sloppy joe, only to have almost half of it spill out the other end and down the front of his shirt. The small blonde's face paled as he looked down at the mess, gently placing the rest of his food back on the plate. He looked up at Quatre, fear clearly written on his features. "I'm sorry." He said meekly, his small frame beginning to tremble slightly, a silent tear escaping one eye.

Quatre only smiled at his younger self, stroking his fingers through the blonde's hair. "It's okay, you won't be punished." He picked up a couple napkins, getting the globs of food off the clone's shirt, then took another napkin and dipped it in his ice water before he started to dab at the stain on the boy's shirt, trying to clean as much as he could. "We'll have to get you another shirt, but that's not a problem." He smiled again. "Just eat your food."

The clone looked up at Quatre curiously. Then he picked up his food and ate. Heero turned his attention back to his own food, deciding that he wanted to eat his own meal rather than worry about how the others were doing.

* * *

Quatre smiled down at his clone as the child finished eating. His face and hands were covered in his food, as was the front of his shirt, but Quatre just found it adorable. He couldn't believe that he had been that cute as a child. Quatre looked up, noticing that most of the others had finished eating too.

"Come on, let's get you cleaned up." Quatre said, smiling down at the small boy.

The clone looked up at him, but only nodded in reply.

Quatre didn't like that reaction. He could sense the fear in the boy, knew that he was still worried about being punished. Quatre knew how strict the household had been when he had been growing up, and since the clone had the same memories, the boy undoubtedly thought that making such a mess as he had, that he'd be punished somehow.

He got up out of his seat, leading the boy out of the room. Before stepping out into the hallway, he turned back. "I'm just going to get him cleaned up."

"Fine." Heero grunted. "Meet us in Une's office when you're done. She caught me in the hall earlier when I was looking for clothes and said that she wanted to talk with us."

Quatre nodded, feeling slightly concerned. Why would Une want to talk with them? He hoped there wouldn't be a repeat of the earlier incident. The last thing they needed was for Une to scare the clones again, especially Trowa's clone.

He pushed the thoughts aside as he walked down the corridor, smiling kindly and greeting the people that walked past him. He glanced down and saw the clone looking up at him, curiosity showing in his eyes every time Quatre said hello to someone passing by. Obviously the clone didn't know why Quatre was being so pleasant . . . he hadn't been so as a child.

They stopped in a restroom, where Quatre and his clone washed their hands, the clone also having to wash his face as well. All the while, the boy remained silent. Once the clone was sufficiently cleaned and dried off, Quatre took him out of the restroom and once again walked through the hallways.

Finally, they reached the storeroom, and Quatre escorted the boy inside. This was where they kept the supplies in case of a natural disaster. There was clothing, canned food, first-aid kits, and various other items that might be needed. The room was huge, but thankfully everything was labeled and marked to make it all easy to find.

"Here, take this off." Quatre said, tugging at the stained shirt that the boy wore.

The clone quickly complied, pulling the shirt over his head and dropping it to the floor. He stood there, crossing his arms over his chest as he shivered slightly in the chilly room, waiting while Quatre turned to look at the shelves.

Quatre quickly glanced along the shelves of boxes, reading the labels printed on them. Soon, he found what he was looking for, and opened the box, smiling when he saw the children's clothes, identical to what Heero had brought earlier for the clones. He pulled out a sweatshirt, holding it up and smiling as he turned back to hand it over to his clone.

When he saw the child, Quatre's smile immediately vanished. The small boy was huddled in a corner, his knees drawn close to his chest as he whimpered. Quatre felt a pang of remorse for not explaining to the child why he was bringing him into this room. Quatre himself, remembered several times when he was punished by being locked up in a room alone. The memory caused him to shudder. Perhaps the clone was thinking the same would happen to him now, or that he would be beaten now that they were out of sight.

Quatre knelt in front of the clone, laying a hand on his small arm as he tried to calm the boy somewhat. "Sshh . . . it's okay. I won't leave you in here. We're just here to get you a new shirt. That's all."

The clone looked up, sniffling as he wiped a small hand across his teary eyes. "Really?"

Quatre nodded, handing him the sweatshirt. I would never hurt you. He replied, sitting back and waiting for the boy to put on the shirt. A sudden thought struck him and he smiled. "I think it's time we thought of a name for you, young man."

The clone pulled his head through the neck hole and looked up at Quatre with a dubious expression on his face. "I already have a name." The boy replied.

"Yes, but we both can't go by the same name. It might get confusing. And since everyone already knows me as Quatre Raberba Winner, it would probably be best to change yours." Quatre said.

The clone bowed his head. "If you say so. W-what are you going to call me?"

Quatre smiled again. "What do you want to be called?" Quatre asked, knowing that the question would shock the boy.

The clone's eyes widened. "You're asking ME for MY opinion?" He asked, staring up at Quatre with total surprise.

Quatre nodded. "Of course. You're your own person, entitled to ideas and opinions just like everyone else."

"I-I don't know. No one ever asked for my opinion before." The clone said, lowering his gaze to stare directly at the floor.

Quatre chuckled kindly, laying a hand on the clone's shoulder. "You think you have to tell ME that no one's ever asked for your opinion? I remember that quite well." He paused, smiling briefly as the clone looked up at him. "And you can drop the tough act when you're around me. I understand with the others . . . but I've been in your shoes."

The clone smiled shyly. "Umm . . . Well . . . you only go by Quatre, right? I ve heard those others when they talk to you and they only call you Quatre."

Quatre nodded. "Yeah. I mean . . . the name IS a mouthful!" Quatre said, smiling.

"Yeah. Still . . . I like my name. Can I keep it and just go by Raberba?" The boy asked.

"Is that what you want, or what you think I want to hear?" Quatre asked, hoping it was the former.

"It's what I want." The boy replied, lowering his gaze. "Are you mad at me?"

"No. Of course not." Quatre said, keeping a smile on his face.

Raberba stayed silent for a few moments, then he looked up, a curious expression on his young face. "Quatre?" He asked.

"Yes?" Quatre replied.

"How come you're . . . nice? You care. You trust people! How do you do that?" Raberba asked.

Quatre smiled again. "It's not something I can teach you. You have to learn it for yourself . . . here." He said, placing his hand over his heart. "Otherwise, when you say that you care, it's just words . . . meaningless."

Raberba nodded and sighed. "I-I ll try. But I don't know if I can." The boy replied.

"Of course you can. You just have to take a risk and open your heart." Quatre replied, ruffling Raberba's hair in an attempt to offer a comforting gesture. After a short moment of silence, Quatre spoke again. "Come on . . . I'm sure the guys are waiting for us in Une's office." Quatre stood, offering Raberba a hand.

"Do we really have to go? That lady is mean." Raberba replied, accepting Quatre's help and taking his hand.

Quatre nodded. "Yes we have to go. And don't be so hard on Lady Une. It was perfectly understandable for her to be angry with us. We did disobey her orders by helping all of you clones. Although her outburst was upsetting to most of you, we deserved it. That doesn't mean that I think I did the wrong thing by saving you. On the contrary, I believe you deserve to live just as much as any child, clone or not." He said, opening the door and walking out of the storeroom, Raberba walking along beside him, his small hand still held in Quatre's.

Raberba looked up at him, a brief hint of a smile crossing his face for a few short moments. He nodded, and they continued walking, the young clone never once trying to get his hand away from Quatre's grasp. Whether that was an attempt on the boy's part to be more friendly or if he just hadn't noticed where his hand was, Quatre couldn't be sure. Either way, he didn't mind the contact.

After a few more minutes of walking, Quatre and his clone stepped into Une's office. Looking around, Quatre saw that Duo and all the others were already there, standing in front of Lady Une's desk. The children were standing behind the adults, looking at Une with wary and fearful expressions. Obviously, all of the clones remembered the last time they had met Une. Even the Lady's own clone was cowering, hiding behind Duo while peeking at Lady Une from behind Duo's leg.

Raberba finally tore his hand away from Quatre's, moving to stand behind Quatre as they stepped further into the room. Quatre sighed, then stepped over to the group, standing beside Trowa then giving his complete attention to Lady Une.

"Now that you are all here, I have some things to discuss with you." Lady Une said, remaining in her seat behind her desk. "Because of your complete disregard of my orders, you are all to be given two weeks paid suspension."

"What?" Duo gasped, his tone exclaiming how shocked he was.

"Please, let me finish, Mr. Maxwell." Lady Une continued, then waited until Duo stopped muttering his protests of being suspended. "Now, during this suspension you will be caring for these clones, helping them to better fit into society. I want all of you in one place, in case of trouble. If you are all together there is a better chance you can protect them if need be." She stood, looking directly at Quatre. "Mr. Winner, would you be so kind as to offer one of your estates as the location of their temporary home? Or should I assign a safe house?"

"I'll be glad to be of any help. I have an estate not too far from here, only about an hour's drive." Quatre replied.

"Then why the hell do you live on base?" Duo gasped. "If you got a mansion, why live in a dinky little room with Wufei as your roommate?"

Quatre looked away. He didn't want to get into it right now. He unconsciously began to shiver, memories trying to break through the barrier and invade his mind. But he wouldn't let them. No, he had to keep focus. He looked up at Une. "Do you need anything else from me?" He asked, his voice wavering slightly as he spoke.

Lady Une shook her head. "No, not at the moment. Okay, now here's the part that I'm sure Duo will enjoy." She sighed and stepped around her desk, carrying several envelopes in her hands. "I am authorizing you to use my expense account for whatever these children need." She handed an envelope out to each of the ex-pilots.

"We can't accept that." Quatre said, trying to hand the envelope back to Lady Une. "I won't spend your money."

"Nonsense. Please, just accept this as my apology for how I reacted earlier. I should never have yelled at these children." Lady Une replied, shoving the envelope back into Quatre's hand.

Quatre nodded, although he didn t like the idea any better than he had before. He sighed, opening the envelope and pulling out a card. It was almost identical to an ATM card, except that it had the Preventers insignia stamped on the front of it.

"These cards will all access my account, and only my account." Lady Une said. "And I want reports on the welfare of these children at least once a week. See Sally on your way out. You should buy some items for that clone of Noin. Sally has all of her necessary measurements ready for you. She should have a decent set of clothes to wear, even if she never fully recovers."

"Yes, Ma'am." Duo replied, a grin spread across his face.

"You're dismissed." Lady Une announced, returning to her seat. "Take care of them, gentlemen."

"We will." Quatre smiled, noticing that the Lady's gaze had been focused completely on her own clone as she had spoken that last sentence. He walked out, keeping a hand on his clone's shoulder as he strolled out of the office.

* * *

As soon as he was out of Lady Une's office, Trowa spoke out. "I guess this means we are all splitting up to get our stuff from our respective homes before we go shopping." Trowa commented.

"Yeah, looks that way." Duo replied. "Now, what do we do with these kids?" He asked, gesturing to the clones of Zechs, Une, Treize, and Relena. "Who's taking them?"

"I will take Treize and Zechs' clones." Wufei answered. "But I know nothing of what a girl would want to wear."

Duo grinned. "I'll take the girls." He said.

Trowa looked down, hearing a definite objection to what they were talking about. He nearly smiled at the sight of Zechs s clone, holding protectively to the clone of Relena. She looked terrified to be taken away from him, and he didn't look too thrilled about it either.

Duo knelt down in front of the two children. "Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to your sister. You'll see her again in a few hours."

Zechs' clone stared up at him, not appearing to believe him. However, he did release his hold on Relena's clone, allowing Duo to take hold of her hand.

Trowa shook his head. "Since you are shopping for these girls, Duo. You might as well go to Sally and get those measurements for Noin's clone."

"Got it." Duo said. "We'll all meet up at Quatre's place I guess."

"Yes." Quatre replied, looking up from what he was doing. For the first time, Trowa noticed a pad of paper and a pen in Quatre's hands. He was writing something, flipping through the sheets a few times and continuing to write. When he was done, he tore off the pages and held one out to each ex-pilot. "Here's the address. I guess I'll see all of you later."

"Don't get worried if I don't make it there tonight." Trowa said, taking the paper. "Almost all of my stuff is still at the circus with Catherine. Since they were close by I was staying with them, at least until I found a place of my own. But I will try and make it there by tonight."

"I understand." Quatre said. "See you all later. He grinned, turning and walking away, escorting his own clone away from the group and down the corridor."

They all split up. Trowa didn't leave headquarters right away. First he went to the locker rooms, where Heero also went. They did need to change into civilian clothes before they left. Nothing was said between them as they changed, and soon they split up once again, each going separate ways as they left the base.

* * *

To Be Continued . . .


	6. Part Six

Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.

Notes: Some Quatre torment here. I upset one of the clone's a bit. Enjoy.

* * *

Young Hearts

Part Six

* * *

Wufei walked through the halls, three clones following close behind him . . . his own clone and the clones of Treize and Zechs. He stepped into the quarters that he shared with Quatre, closing the door once all the clones were inside with him.

"You three, sit down and behave yourselves." Wufei ordered, herding the children over to one of the beds and making sure that his own clone and Treize's clone were not next to each other.

Then he turned his back to the children, grabbing himself a change of clothes before he stepped into the bathroom that adjoined the room. Wufei quickly changed, looking in the mirror above the sink to be sure that his hair was still neat. It was, so he walked out of the bathroom, only to sigh at the scene before him.

The three clones had gotten off the bed. The clone of Zechs was standing between the other two, apparently trying to keep them apart.

"What's going on?" Wufei asked, stepping over to the children.

"Nothing." The children replied, their voices almost synchronized.

Wufei sighed, not believing that for an instant. He picked up Treize's clone, depositing him on Quatre's bed, then picked up his own clone and put him down on his bed. "You two stay where you are." He ordered. "You will have to learn to get along with each other. You might be living together for a long time."

"Yes, sir." Treize's clone replied, bowing his head slightly.

He felt a tap to his arm and glanced down to see Zechs' clone looking up at him. "What do you want me to do?" The boy asked quietly.

"Just sit somewhere and keep quiet." Wufei replied, not really sure what to do with these children. He didn't even know why he had offered to take those other two along with his own. He had no idea of what he needed to buy for them.

Zechs' clone walked over to Quatre's bed and sat beside the clone of Treize. He sat there quietly, just swinging his legs over the edge of the bed as he patiently waited.

As Wufei walked over to the small closet to retrieve his duffle bag, the door to the room opened and Quatre walked in, his clone following behind him.

"Raberba, why don't you go sit down while I change." Quatre smiled, closing the door behind his clone.

"Okay." The small boy replied, walking over and sitting on the bed beside Wufei's clone.

Wufei looked over at Quatre. "Raberba?" He asked, raising an eyebrow quizzically.

"Well, he needed a name." Quatre replied, stepping over to his dresser and removing a change of clothes. He turned to Wufei, smiling before he walked into the bathroom.

Wufei returned to what he had been doing. He pulled his duffle bag from the closet, also grabbing what few belongings he had been keeping in there. He dropped everything on his bed, quickly packing. He just wanted to get today over with.

Quatre walked out of the bathroom, carrying his dirty clothes with him, along with his toiletries. "In a hurry, Wufei?" Quatre asked.

"I do not know why I offered to take those other two clones with me. I do not like shopping for myself. What do you buy for children anyway?" Wufei replied, continuing to pack.

Quatre dropped his stuff on his own bed. He quickly retrieved his suitcase from the closet, opening it and setting it on his bed. "Well, they'll need clothes, toothbrushes and hair care products, various other toiletries. Unfortunately, a few of the bedrooms at the estate are unfurnished, but I'll take care of that. You might want to buy things to distract them . . . toys or something." Quatre answered.

A thought occurred to Wufei as he was zipping his bag shut, something that Duo had brought up earlier. "Winner, why do you live here, if you have an estate nearby?" Wufei asked, giving the blonde his full attention.

Quatre dropped what he had been holding, his hands beginning to tremble as his breath grew ragged. Wufei did not like this reaction. He glanced over at the children noticing that they all looked concerned, and Raberba was an instant away from jumping up and running over to his older self. To tell the truth, Wufei was also concerned. It was unusual to see Quatre in such a state.

Wufei hastily stepped over to Quatre, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and leading him over to the bathroom. He frowned, feeling all the tremors coursing through his friend's body. Before he walked into the bathroom, he looked over to the clones again. "You four stay there." He said.

They all nodded, Raberba offering a quiet. "Yes, sir."

Wufei closed the door once he and Quatre were in the bathroom. Quatre pulled himself away from Wufei, wedging his small body between the toilet and the wall, curling his arms around himself as he shivered. He bowed his head, burying his face against his knees. By the way he was shaking and the sounds escaping his throat, Wufei knew that Quatre was crying.

Wufei knelt in front of his friend, reaching out a hand and laying it on one of his shoulders, wondering what could be troubling the Arabian. "Quatre . . . what's wrong?" Wufei asked, attempting to keep his voice at a soothing tone, purposely using his friend's first name in the hope that it was helping somewhat.

"I'm sorry, Wufei." Quatre cried, his voice muffled slightly by his knees being pressed so close to his face.

Wufei wasn't exactly sure of what to do. Comforting wasn't really his strong suit. But he was willing to try, if only to help Quatre. He didn't like seeing his friends hurt or in pain. "Talk to me." Wufei said, moving his hand to the side of Quatre s head. "Please . . . look at me and tell me what's wrong."

Quatre slowly lifted his head. Tears streaked his face, falling from red-rimmed eyes. He sniffled, his body continuing to tremble as he sat there, his eyes never quite reaching Wufei's. "I-I don t know what to say." He whispered.

"Why don't you just tell me why you are so shaken up?" Wufei asked, gently prodding the trembling youth for answers.

"I was scared . . . afraid that you'd hate me because of why I don't want to live in my own estate." Quatre replied, his voice quavering as tears continued to trail down his cheeks.

Wufei huffed, then smiled. "That would be quite impossible. I would think no less of you no matter what your reasons are. You are my friend and nothing you say will change that." He said, offering a slight smirk to try and soothe his friend's feelings.

Quatre smiled back, sniffling as he wiped the back of his hand across his eyes. However, his smile quickly faded and there was a long, uncomfortable silence before Quatre spoke. "When I was little . . . whenever I misbehaved or made a mistake . . . my tutors or caretakers used to lock me up by myself in rooms . . . sometimes closets . . . whatever was available. Now I'm afraid of being alone. There were other things in my life that contributed to this stupid fear . . . but I'm not comfortable talking about them." Quatre said, lowering his head one more time. "The estates are too big . . . and I'm left alone most of the time . . . even when the Maguanac are visiting. I just don't want to be alone."

"You won't be alone any more." Wufei whispered, running a hand along Quatre's arm. "You have Raberba now."

"But for how long?" Quatre asked, lifting his head, worry and sadness clearly visible in his tear-glistened eyes. "What happens if Une decides to put them in witness relocation? What if Raberba is sent to live with someone else?"

Wufei shook his head. "There is no point in dwelling on the possibilities. He is with you now, so use your time with him to the fullest." Wufei said, then upon seeing Quatre's sad expression, he added. "But if he is taken, I would consider it an honor to room with you again."

Quatre expression brightened. "Really?" He asked, a brief smile lighting up his face.

"Of course." Wufei smirked.

"Thank you, Wufei." Quatre said.

Wufei stood and held his hand out. "Do you want to get up now?"

Quatre nodded and took hold of Wufei's hand. Wufei pulled him to his feet, still concerned for the blonde. Quatre's body was still trembling, a few stray tears continuing to drip down his flushed face.

Wufei hustled Quatre over to the sink, deciding to help the young blonde get cleaned up at least a little. He grabbed a glass, filling it with cool water and handed it to Quatre. Quatre took it, smiling gratefully as he sipped the clear liquid.

Wufei nodded, then reached over and picked up a washcloth. As Quatre finished his drink, Wufei soaked the soft cloth in the sink, ringing it out so that it was just damp. With one hand, Wufei took the now empty glass from Quatre's hand and set it down on the counter. With his other hand, Wufei dabbed at Quatre's cheeks with the damp washcloth, wiping away what tears still trailed down his cheeks.

"There . . . better?" Wufei asked, brushing the last of Quatre's tears away.

Quatre smiled. "Yes . . . thank you, Wufei." He replied.

Wufei dropped the washcloth. "Now, let's get back out there. The children are probably worried sick about you." Wufei said.

Quatre frowned. "I frightened them, didn't I?" He asked, lowering his gaze once more.

"I'm sure they were just concerned for your well-being. Once they see you are well, they will be relieved." Wufei replied, wrapping an arm around Quatre's waist and slowly leading him to the door.

Quatre sighed, allowing Wufei to escort him. "I hope so." He whispered, reaching out and opening the door.

As soon as the two of them stepped out of the bathroom, Raberba jumped to his feet. "You okay?" He asked, his voice betraying just how concerned he was for his older self, while his face remained calm. Wufei knew an act when he saw one. This child was clearly trying to keep everyone to know how worried he was.

"Yes, I'll be fine." Quatre said, offering a small reassuring smile.

Wufei left the blonde's side and stepped over to his duffle again. Seeing that everything was packed, Wufei zipped it shut. "I am ready to leave, Quatre." Wufei said, shouldering the bag. "Are you sure you are well?"

Quatre nodded. "Yes . . . I'll be fine. Thank you again, Wufei." He then gestured to the clones of Zechs and Treize. "If you want, one of them could come with me."

"Only if it will not be a burden for you." Wufei said.

Quatre smiled again. "Nonsense . . . I would be happy to take one of them shopping, if only to repay your kindness."

Wufei nodded. "Then take Treize. Since my clone and he cannot seem to get along, it would be best to separate them." He motioned for Zechs' clone and his own clone to follow him. "Come along . . . we have many things to do today."

* * *

Quatre watched as Wufei and the two clones left, leaving Quatre alone with Raberba and Treize's clone. "Raberba, can you hand me my stuff out of that top drawer?" Quatre asked, pointing over to the dresser.

"Sure." Raberba replied, walking over and doing as Quatre had asked.

Treize's clone stepped over. "If he has a new name, does that mean you're gonna give me a new name too?" The boy asked, looking Quatre over carefully.

Quatre smiled, walking over to his suitcase and packing his belongings. "No, you can keep your name." Quatre paused, his smile faltering, not really knowing how to say this. "You . . . your older self . . . is no longer alive."

Quatre watched the boy carefully, concerned as he saw all the color drain from the clone's face. "Dead? I'm . . . I'm dead?" The child asked, stumbling backwards. Then abruptly he just collapsed, his eyes rolling back into his head as he passed out.

Quatre ran forward, but not fast enough. The boy fell to the floor, hitting his head on the way down. Quatre dropped to his knees, checking the boy's pulse and thankfully finding one. He frowned at the sight of a cut in the clone's forehead, watching as blood quickly began to seep from the fresh wound.

He lifted the clone up, laying him down on one of the beds. "You stay here with him." Quatre said to Raberba, before hastily going into the bathroom. He quickly dampened a washcloth and filled a glass with cool water, then returned to the unconscious clone's side.

Quatre sat, setting the glass of water on a nearby table as he carefully began to dab at the blood that was steadily dripping from the cut on the boy's head. "Hey, kid . . . wake up." Quatre whispered, laying a hand against one of the clone's cheeks. He gently tapped his hand against the boy's pale face, watching with relief as he slowly opened his eyes.

"Are you okay?" Quatre asked.

Treize's clone groaned, raising a hand to his head. Then he looked up at Quatre, fear and sadness evident in his eyes. "I'm really dead?" He asked, his voice a mere whisper.

"I'm sorry, but yes. Treize Khushrenada died in one of the last battles of a war a few years ago. He gave his life to save the people on earth from being killed. He died a hero." Quatre said, offering a slight smile as he ran his hand along the boy's face, his other hand keeping the washcloth against the wound in the clone's forehead.

The clone smiled. "He did? Really?" He asked, his eyes gleaming hopefully.

"He was a great man . . . a strong leader. You should be proud." Quatre replied. "So you can keep your name, young Treize. I'm sure you will grow up to be just as great a man as your older self was, no matter what you want to do in your life."

The boy smiled. "Thank you." He replied, sniffling slightly.

Quatre pulled the washcloth away from Treize's forehead and smiled when he saw that the blood flow had slowed considerably. "I think we should make a trip to see Sally before we leave. She should have a look at that."

"Okay." Treize said.

"Can you sit up?" Quatre asked, reaching over to the table for the glass.

"Yeah . . . I think so." Treize replied, slowly pushing himself up. He looked a little unsteady, but he succeeded in raising himself to a sitting position.

Quatre handed him the glass of water, watching as Treize slowly sipped at the liquid before handing the empty glass back to Quatre. Quatre just put the glass back down on the table. He smiled once, then returned to his packing, thinking that as soon as he was finished they would leave, making a short stop at the infirmary for Sally to check Treize's injury.

* * *

To Be Continued . . .


	7. Part Seven

Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.

Notes: Heero has a talk with his clone. Trowa and his clone have a quiet moment together.

* * *

Young Hearts

Part Seven

* * *

Heero finished dressing and stuffed the remainder of his belongings into a duffle that he kept in his locker. He was wearing his usual green tank top, although his spandex shorts had been replaced with jeans since the weather had turned quite cold. Now that his locker was cleared, he pulled his coat on and closed the door, nodding once in Trowa's direction before he left the tall young man alone with his clone.

He headed to the garage, passing by the infirmary as he walked along. He glanced in and saw that Quatre was in there, waiting as Sally tended to a wound on the clone of Treize's forehead. Heero pondered that for a moment, wondering why Quatre was there when Wufei had been the one to volunteer to take the boy with him.

However, he didn't stop to ask, continuing on his way to the garage and his car. As they continued to walk, Heero's clone tapped him on the arm. Heero paused and looked down at the boy. "Do you need something?" Heero asked, wondering why the child would stop him.

The child looked up at Heero, a serious expression on his young face. "We cannot go by the same name . . . and unlike that braided boy, I do NOT want to be called Chibi." He said calmly, crossing his arms over his chest as he stared up at Heero.

Heero nodded, seeing that the child had a valid point. He pondered over the situation briefly and could only come up with one viable solution. "Why not go by Odin? He has been dead for years."

The clone quirked an eyebrow, cocking his head to one side as he looked up at Heero with curiosity. "Why Odin? I know he was my trainer and the only paternal figure I ever had . . . but he wasn't that great a guy. Why should I honor him?"

Heero chuckled lightly, closing his eyes for a moment before he opened them again and sighed in amusement. "You sound like Wufei." He took a breath, trying to convey his thoughts into words, a process that was never easy for him. "You're not doing it to honor Odin Lowe. You are doing it to have a name. Look at it this way. You could have asked Duo to name you, and he would have come up with something out of Monty Python."

"Huh?" The child asked, blinking in apparent confusion.

Heero allowed his lips to quirk into a small smirk. "An old British series. Duo finds it quite amusing and sometimes acts out his favorite parts when he thinks that no one is looking."

The boy nodded, accepting the answer. He was silent for a moment, then looked up at Heero with a serious expression once again. "Odin will be an acceptable name . . . I can think of nothing better."

"Good, then let us continue on our way." Heero responded, then once again began walking toward the garage, knowing that Odin was walking along beside him.

As they entered the parking garage, Heero noticed Duo and his clone standing beside Duo's motorcycle. Heero frowned. Duo couldn't possibly be thinking of taking that child out on that thing. Besides, there wouldn't be enough room, not when Duo also had the clones of Relena and Une accompanying him. Heero shook his head, tossing the thoughts aside. It wasn t really his business what Duo did or did not do.

Heero walked over to his own vehicle, a small car that suited his transportation purposes. Before he had even reached out to grasp the handle of the car, Duo ran over and slapped him on the back. "Hey, Heero, going shopping?" Duo asked.

Heero turned and glared at him. "Of course I am." Heero replied, watching as Duo's clone ran up behind the American, smiling almost as brightly as Duo was. The clones of Relena and Une also followed Duo, although not quite so fast. "Where else would I be going?

"Need some help?" Duo asked. "Do you even know what to buy for your clone?"

Heero frowned as he thought. To be honest he did not know what to buy for a child. His training hadn't included child care. "No . . . I am unsure of what to purchase for Odin."

"Odin?" Duo asked, his brow furrowing slightly.

"He required a name and it was an acceptable option." Heero responded, gesturing down at his clone.

Duo got down on his knees, looking straight at Odin. "So, your name's Odin, huh? Not a bad name." Duo smiled, reaching out and ruffling his fingers through Odin's hair. The child just glared at Duo for doing such a thing. Odin backed away and moved behind Heero, using his older self as a shield to block Duo from getting so close to him again.

Duo shrugged and rose to his feet, smirking at Heero. Heero shook his head and turned away from the American, reaching out to open the car door again. "Goodbye, Duo." Heero said.

"Wait." Duo replied, grasping Heero's shoulder and turning him back around. "Um . . . could we come with you? We can help each other. You need help with what to buy and we need a ride." He gestured to his motorcycle. "I am not taking the little guy on that . . . at least not without a helmet. Not enough room for the girls anyway."

Heero sighed, thinking it over. It would be beneficial. Duo did seem to at least have an idea of what needed to be purchased, where Heero had no clue. And if Heero accompanied the American, he could see to it that Duo didn't buy too many unnecessary items, such as toys or something just as frivolous.

"Fine." Heero nodded. He turned and opened the back door, ushering his own clone inside, then waiting as Duo's clone and the girls followed Odin. Then Heero closed the door behind them.

He stepped around to the other side of the car and got into the driver's seat, noticing that Duo was already sitting and waiting in the seat beside his. With a grunt, Heero slammed the car door closed and turned on the ignition, noticing in the rearview mirror that the four children in the backseat had fastened their seat belts. Heero fastened his own seatbelt, deciding that he should set a good example for his young clone, then sighed as he pulled out of the parking garage, Duo's chatter having already begun before the car had even started moving. This was going to be a long day, Heero thought.

* * *

Trowa folded his uniform shirt and placed it into a backpack, zipping the bag closed since there was nothing else left in his locker. He was once again dressed in his usual clothes, his jeans and turtleneck. It was suitable clothing considering the cold weather outside. His coat lay across the bench in front of him, next to his backpack. He picked it up and quickly pulled it on.

He looked up from his task, his eyes settling on his clone. The child was sitting on the floor across from him, his knees drawn to his chest as he stared at the floor, his small arms wrapped around his body as he trembled slightly. As Trowa watched him, the boy looked up, his green eyes shimmering with both fear and unshed tears.

Memories swarmed through Trowa's mind. He tried to block them away, to hide them behind the walls he had spent most of his life building around himself. But it was no use. It was as if that child's eyes had bored directly into his soul, burning a hole through all the defenses Trowa had put up to protect himself.

Pain surrounded him, taunts and teases thrown at him over the years by countless people . . . by his comrades, the other mercenaries . . . the agony of bodily harm that angry and lustful men had caused to him. Before Trowa knew what was happening, he had fallen to the floor and curled in on himself, his body and mind aching from the torment of his memories.

Something touched his arm and Trowa panicked, pushing himself up and scrambling away from whatever had come into contact with him. His back hit a wall of lockers and he sat there, panting, trying to regain a normal breathing pattern as he clamped his eyes shut, his body shivering severely. He curled his arms around his body, his legs bent and knees close to his chest as he struggled to take in large gulps of air, feeling the sweat that was soaking his skin.

Something touched his arm again, but this time Trowa didn't panic. Fear flittered through his mind, reminding him of past traumas, but he opened his eyes, only to see his young clone looking at him. The concern on the child's face was obvious. And although he didn't speak, the comfort he was offering was showing in the way that he had pressed his trembling hand to Trowa's arm. Trowa relaxed slightly, pushing himself into a more comfortable position as he stretched his legs out in front of him.

Without a word, or even a sound, the clone moved forward. He hesitantly sat across Trowa's lap, slowly curling his small arms around Trowa's body as he laid his head against his older self's chest. He let out a shuddered breath, then slowly relaxed against Trowa, probably a very difficult thing for him to do since he was terrified of human contact.

Trowa let a small smile curl his lips as the boy embraced him. Carefully, purposely moving slowly, Trowa returned the embrace with one arm, making sure not to hold on too tightly as he held him. "You recognize your own pain in me . . . hm, little one?" Trowa asked, his voice barely able to be called a whisper as he raised his free hand and softly stroked his slender fingers through the boy's hair.

The child nodded against his chest, making a wordless sound in his throat that could only be called a grunt. Trowa knew it was the only reply that he would be able to get out of him, and was satisfied with his affirmative answer.

"I guess I'm more like you then I would care to admit, even to myself." Trowa whispered, continuing to idly stroke the clone's soft hair. "I guess this means you trust me somewhat. You know I won't hurt you, huh?"

Again, the boy just nodded, the trembling in his body slowly fading away. At least he wasn't afraid of Trowa . . . that was a good thing.

"The others won't hurt you . . . but I know it'll take time for you to trust them. Try your best . . . at least you still have a chance to be happy . . . not like me." Trowa said, whispering the last part under his breath.

After a moment of nothing but silence, Trowa looked down and smiled. The clone was sleeping, his face calm and serene as he rested in Trowa's embrace. Trowa carefully rose to his feet, cradling the child's body in his arms as he stood.

With only a minor amount of difficulty, Trowa managed to grab his backpack and sling it over his shoulder without awakening his young clone. The boy needed to relax a bit, so Trowa was in no hurry to disturb the boy.

Taking one last glance back, Trowa left the locker room, heading for his truck in the parking garage. He opened the door as quietly as he could, gently setting the boy down on the seat and securing the seatbelt around him. He closed the door and walked around, tossing his bag in the back as he got himself into the driver's seat. In only minutes, he was driving along a road, on his way to where he had left most of his belongings . . . with Catherine at the circus.

* * *

To Be Continued . . .


	8. Part Eight

Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.

Notes: Quatre visits the estate that he and the others will be staying in and has a brief talk with Rasid. Wufei takes two of the clones shopping.

* * *

Young Hearts

Part Eight

* * *

Quatre lowered the window of his car as he pulled to a halt in front of the gates of his estate. He reached out, pressing the call button and announcing his presence. A moment later, the gates opened and Quatre drove up the driveway to the front of the large house, parking it there.

"Come on, we're here." Quatre said, speaking to the two clones in the backseat. Quatre waited beside the car as Treize and Raberba climbed out, then he started walking, knowing that the boys were following behind him.

He quickly walked up the stairs to the front doors. Just as he was reaching out to grasp the door handle, it was pulled open from the inside. Quatre smiled, looking up and seeing Rasid standing before him. "Welcome home, Master Quatre." Rasid said, bowing slightly.

A startled gasp from behind Quatre, got the attention of both adults. Quatre turned, smirking as he saw the shocked expression on Raberba's face. The child was staring up at Rasid, his eyes continuing upward until he fell over backwards from losing his balance for looking up so high. The boy quickly picked himself up, blushing, then hastily moved behind Quatre's body, as if afraid of Rasid. Treize did the same, hiding himself behind Quatre, although he peered out from behind him.

"Master Quatre . . . what is going on here?" Rasid asked.

Quatre looked up at the older man, smirking at the sight of surprise that was obvious on his face. "The scientists made clones." Quatre said simply, turning and gently urging the two children to come out of hiding. "Don't worry, he won't hurt either of you." Quatre hushed, brushing the fingers of his hands through the hair of each child.

"You were cloned, Master Quatre?" Rasid asked, his mouth agape.

Quatre smiled. "Not just me. There are ten clones in total. The Gundam pilots - myself included - Treize, Zechs, Lady Une, Miss Noin, and Miss Relena were cloned." Quatre said, reaching down and taking hold of Treize and Raberba's hands, guiding them inside.

Rasid closed the door behind them. "What is going to be done with them?" Rasid asked.

"For the time being at least, the four other pilots and I will be taking care of them here." Quatre answered. "That's why I've come here today."

"Do you need anything of us?" Rasid asked.

"Yes, I'll need this place to be ready for us tonight. The rest of the guys are shopping right now, and will undoubtedly be bringing items with them. I'll be going shopping as well once I leave here. How many bedrooms are furnished?" Quatre said.

"There are twin size beds in each of the bedrooms, and a few larger, forty beds in total." Rasid answered.

"Ah, that brings up another topic." Quatre sighed, looking down suddenly feeling ashamed that he had to ask this. "I hate to have to ask this, but will you and your men mind residing at another of my estates? You can take your pick of them. I wouldn't ask, but Trowa's clone seems terrified of any and all human contact, and I doubt the presence of forty men will calm him. I'm sorry for asking this of you."

Rasid nodded and held up one hand to stop the blonde from continuing to apologize. "I understand, Master Quatre. We will depart within the day. You do not have to apologize."

Quatre smiled. "Thank you Rasid." He glanced around at the virtually empty house. "It seems that I will have to buy a good deal of furniture." He commented.

"Ah, Master Quatre . . . you should also call someone to repair your pool. It seems the heating mechanism and the cover controls are broken." Rasid said.

"Thank you for telling me. I'll have it seen to as soon as possible." Quatre replied. "If you'll excuse me, I really should take these two shopping. I'll call the other guys and warn them about the pool."

"Good day, Master Quatre. If ever you need us, you need only call." Rasid replied, bowing.

Quatre smiled, grateful to his friend. "Thank you, Rasid. I will keep that in mind. And if you or any of your men need anything, don't hesitate to ask." With that said, Quatre left, taking the children back out to the car. "Let's go shopping." Quatre grinned, buckling his seat belt as the children did the same in the back seat. He drove around the circular drive, and left the estate, heading in the direction of the nearest mall.

* * *

Wufei grumbled as he slammed his car door closed. He did not like shopping, not even for himself. This was going to be an awful day. The two clones quickly followed behind him as he strolled across the parking lot and into the department store. Once inside, he stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes wide as he looked around. He had no idea where to start.

He looked around, feeling lost, then saw a sign for apparel. Wufei shrugged, then sighed, thinking that it would be as good a place to start as any. With the two clones following close behind him, Wufei walked over to the section of young boy's apparel. He frowned as he got closer, noting the various cartoon characters decorating many of the garments. He didn't like these, they were not something he would permit his clone to wear.

Wufei's clone stopped, picking up the sleeve of a colorful T-shirt. He looked confused. "Sir, what are these strange clothes?" He asked politely, looking up at Wufei.

"They are the most common fashions of the people who live in this area. I do not particularly like them. Perhaps we will be able to find a store with more familiar looking clothes for you to wear." Wufei said, then he looked at Zechs' clone. "I am afraid that I will be unable to help you choose most of your clothes. Try to choose appropriate clothing in your size."

"Okay." The young boy nodded, turning and heading into the racks of clothing with a smile on his face.

Wufei smirked, thinking that perhaps Zechs had not chosen much of his own clothes as a child, basing that guess on the way his clone had reacted to being given the freedom to do so now. As Wufei thought, he came to the conclusion that he truly shouldn't be thinking of this boy as Zechs' clone. The child did have a name to call his own, one that wasn't being used by his older self. He mentally reminded himself to call the boy Milliardo from now on, deciding that both he and the boy had better get used to it.

"Do not stray too far, Milliardo." Wufei said, heading into the clothes as well, deciding that he should look around a bit, perhaps for something suitable for his own clone.

"Okay." Milliardo called back, not sounding at all surprised to hear that name.

Wufei wandered around, picking up a few garments for his clone to wear. He chose a few T-shirts, some sweat pants and sweatshirts, even a couple pairs of jeans for him to wear. He also picked out underwear and socks for both his own clone and Milliardo, doubting the blonde boy would pick out his own.

While Wufei was picking out a dress shirt for Milliardo, already having found one in his clone's size and adding it to the pile of items in the cart he had found, his own clone tugged on his jacket. Wufei looked down. "Yes, do you want something?"

The young Asian clone nodded. "Yes, um, I think it would be beneficial for me to have a name to call my own."

Wufei nodded, seeing the reasoning in that statement. "Yes, you have a point there. Is there any particular name you wish to be called by?

The clone shook his head. "No, I do not wish to change my surname. However, we both cannot go by the name Wufei anymore."

"Yes, I see." Wufei replied, taking a moment to think over the situation, trying to come up with a suitable name. Then he thought of one. "How about Tian Bao?"

The boy blushed a little and Wufei smirked at the reaction. "I guess that is an acceptable name." He whispered quietly. "Chang Tian Bao." He said, repeating his own name to himself and smiling slightly.

"Come, let us find Milliardo. I think we are ready to move on to a different department." Wufei said, ushering Tian Bao to where he had last seen Milliardo.

They found the blonde boy standing over a pile of garments, dropping a T-shirt onto it. When he saw Wufei approaching, he looked up and smiled. "I picked out some clothes." He said proudly, gesturing down at the pile of clothes.

Wufei nodded, seeing several shirts and multiple pairs of pants mixed in together. "They are all your size?" He asked.

Milliardo smiled again. "Yes, sir." He said. "Are we leaving now?"

"Not just yet. There are many more things I will need to buy for you two." He said, refolding the clothes that Milliardo had picked out and adding them to the cart with Tian Bao's clothes.

Milliardo picked up the dress shirt that Wufei had picked out for him. "You're not going to make me wear this sissy shirt, are you?" He asked, his face set in a frown.

Wufei sighed, depositing the last of Milliardo's chosen clothes in the cart. "You might need one or two of those more formal clothes, but you will not be forced to wear them every day." Wufei stated.

"Good." Milliardo said, nodding his head as he dropped the shirt back into the cart. "I never liked wearing those stuffy clothes." He flipped his loose hair over his shoulder, getting it tangled in his fingers and groaning as he freed his hand and finally got his hair to stay back.

Wufei chuckled lightly. "Perhaps we should buy something to restrain your hair, Milliardo." He said.

"I'm not used to having long hair. As far as I know I never had so much hair. So why is it so long now?" Milliardo asked, looking up at Wufei as they walked through the store.

Wufei hadn't realized that before. Zechs had not had long hair as a child, at least not in any of the pictures that Wufei had seen of the Peacecraft monarchy. He must have grown it later in life. Perhaps the scientists had let the child's hair grow early. It wasn't as if the clone had been scheduled to awaken until a much later date anyway. "Your older self has hair like that." Wufei commented, stopping when he found a rack of winter clothes.

"Oh, what's he like?" Milliardo asked, allowing Wufei to get him into a thick winter coat to see if the size was right.

"He was a soldier, goes by the name Zechs Merquise. He is a Preventer now, on a mission to Mars last I heard." Wufei said, trying a different coat onto the youth.

"Mars? Cool!" Milliardo exclaimed happily.

Wufei smirked, depositing the coat that Milliardo had just tried on into the cart. Then he found one to fit Tian Bao before they moved on again, grabbing some gloves and hats to further keep them warm. They stopped next in the shoe department and finding several pairs of footwear for each boy.

For a moment, Wufei lost sight of Milliardo. He looked around, eventually finding him standing in the middle of the toy section, running his hand over a stuffed animal with a gentle smile on his young face. His cheeks turned pink when he noticed that Wufei and Tian Bao had found him and he ducked his head shyly. "I had something like this. But it was destroyed in the fire-" He whispered, his voice trailing off.

Wufei stepped over, picking up the stuffed animal that Milliardo had been looking so fondly at a moment ago. It was a monkey, with small patches of velcro on the hands and feet so that they could be put together. Wufei found it a silly thing, never having had anything similar when he had been a child. However, it looked as if the one Milliardo had owned as a child had held a great sentimental value to him.

Wufei handed the monkey to Milliardo and sighed. "I suppose it would be acceptable to purchase this for you." Wufei stated.

Milliardo looked up at Wufei and smiled brightly, taking the monkey and holding it close. A moment later, Wufei blinked as Milliardo hugged him. "Thank you, sir." He said cheerfully before pulling away.

Wufei smiled a little, watching as Milliardo looped the arms of the monkey over his head, letting it hang from around his neck as if it were some odd necklace. He shook his head, then looked around the toy section, deciding that perhaps he should buy something to occupy the children's minds and well as their time. He picked out a few puzzles and games, allowing Tian Bao to pick a toy for himself. Tian Bao didn't seem interested with most of the objects, choosing a handheld quizzing game with changeable cartridges.

Wufei left the toy department rather quickly, not knowing how anyone could buy some of the frivolous things he had seen in there. He shook his head as he walked away, Tian Bao walking alongside him, Milliardo running ahead with that stuffed monkey draped around his neck like a cape.

Next stop was in the health and beauty aides section. Wufei walked along the isles, tossing various things in the cart like soap and shampoo, toothpaste and toothbrushes. He found a hairbrush and called Milliardo over to him, running the brush through the boy's hair so that it was neat. He tossed the brush into the cart along with another one, then found the elastic bands, pulling Milliardo's hair back into a ponytail and doing the same with Tian Bao's hair, although Tian Bao's was a good deal tighter, then tossing the remainder of the package of elastic bands into the cart.

As soon as he was sure that he had gotten everything, he made his way to a checkout, sighing as he had to discourage Milliardo from asking for candy. A headache pounded at his temples and he was greatly relieved when they finally left the store, Tian Bao and Milliardo both bundled up in their new winter outer garments, heading back to his car with several full bags.

* * *

To Be Continued . . .

Note: Tian Bao roughly means Treasure from heaven or something very close to it. Got it from a Chinese baby name book.


	9. Part Nine

Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.

Notes: Heero and Duo shop for the four kids in their care. Duo and Chibi-Duo have a nice sappy moment together.

* * *

Young Hearts

Part Nine

* * *

Heero frowned as they stepped into the mall, his eyes going wide for a moment as he took in the sight of all the numerous stores inside. For a brief moment, he felt a flicker of relief that Duo was here with him . . . he had no idea where to start. Then he remembered that he was with Duo, and that the American would probably drag him to each and every store even if they needed nothing inside of it.

A small hand slipped into his palm and Heero looked down, seeing the clone of Une smiling back at him. Taking a glance over at Duo, he found that the American was holding Relena's hand and leading her into the mall. Odin and Chibi-Duo were nowhere to be seen.

"Duo, where are Odin and your clone?" Heero asked, following the other youth.

Duo looked around, then smiled. "Over there." He said, pointing before he walked in the direction that he had indicated. Heero followed him, allowing Une's clone to hold his hand as they walked. He saw no reason to take his hand from her.

A few moments later, Heero found himself standing in front of the window of a toy store. Odin and Chibi-Duo had their faces and hands pressed to the glass and were both looking inside. Chibi-Duo's face was covered in awe and longing as he looked at the numerous toys on display, while Odin's gaze was focused intently on a simple red ball.

"I always wanted a toy that hadn't been owned by anyone else, something that was really mine." Chibi-Duo murmured, looking at the toys longingly.

Duo smiled. "I promise we can look at the toys later." He said, taking hold of Chibi-Duo's hand and urging him away. "But only after we get you guys some clothes, okay?"

Chibi-Duo nodded. "Okay." He grinned, taking one last look at the toy store before he followed Duo.

Heero was surprised that Duo was being so practical as to buy the things that were actually needed first. He had thought that Duo would have given in and taken the child inside the store, probably to buy something frivolous. "Come on." Heero urged, placing his hand on Odin's shoulder and guiding the boy away.

Odin nodded, giving no reply at all. He simply followed as the six of them headed to the nearest clothing store. As they stepped inside, Heero blinked in surprise, feeling lost. The store they had just walked into was quite large. Heero had no idea where to start. He hoped that Duo had some idea of what he was doing.

"Come on, Heero . . . we'll get the girls their clothing first, then the boys." Duo announced, leading the way.

Heero nodded, silently following. Beside him, Une's clone walked, her hand still clasped within his own. On his other side, was Odin, who stayed just as quiet as Heero as they walked into the girls department.

He stared in confusion. This hadn't been a part of his training. How was HE supposed to know what a little girl would like? _Puppies_ . . . He shook his head at that thought. The memory was too painful for him right now.

Heero winced as Une's clone headed straight for the dresses. "Overalls would be more practical." Heero said, trying to avoid an uncomfortable situation.

The young girl sighed, stopping in her tracks. She looked down at the floor. "I know . . . but I always had to wear them. I always wanted pretty dresses, but my father never would get them for me. An impractical waste of money, he said, since I could wear hand-me-downs."

Heero nodded, taking the girl over to the dresses. "Then you will have them now." He said, deciding there would be no reason to deny her choice of clothing. It was unnecessary to force the child to wear something other than what she wanted . . . except in times when certain dress codes were deemed important.

While Une's clone happily browsed through the dresses, Heero turned his attention to Duo, watching as the young man dealt with Relena's clone. He picked out a pink dress, to which the child curled her nose in a most disgusted fashion.

"What's wrong?" Duo asked.

Relena's clone sighed. "Um, it's okay I guess." She replied, although she didn't look as if she really meant it.

Duo shook his head, putting the pink dress back on the rack. "Uh-uh . . . you look like you were just force-fed brussel sprouts. What's wrong?"

"Umm . . . PINK? Do I GOTTA wear it?" She asked, sneering at the garment.

"I thought you liked pink." Duo replied. It was a good assessment. Both Heero and Duo had seen Relena with pink objects . . . her limousine for example.

However, the child shook her head. "No way. Makes me feel like a Barbie doll! No one ever asked before though."

"All right then . . . you can pick something you like." Duo offered, gesturing to the many racks.

Relena's clone smiled brightly, passing the dresses altogether and heading for the jeans. She picked a plain corduroy jumpsuit and a white T-shirt. "Hey . . . can you pull my hair back for me later? I don't like it getting in my way."

"Absolutely." Duo grinned. "Hey, let's at least get you one dress. You don't have to wear it all the time, but you should have a couple for parties or other formal stuff."

"Oh, all right. I guess just a few won't hurt." The girl nodded. "But if I get dresses I want jeans with nothing frilly on em."

Duo nodded. "Got it, Lena . . . nothing frilly. You don't mind if I call you Lena do ya?"

"No, I don't mind. I guess I can't go by my real name." She sighed. "I want boys jeans, just like what Chibi-Duo's gonna get."

"All right." Duo agreed, taking Lena by the hand and getting her a selection of dresses, then other garments . . . T-shirts and the like. Heero noticed that the colors were rather bright . . . reds and yellows and a few orange hues . . . definitely no pinks though. Duo waited while Lena tried her chosen garments out for size.

With a shrug, Heero turned his attention back to Une's clone, helping her to choose her own garments as best as he could. She tried the first few of each on, to make sure that the sizes were right for her. She stayed with more darker colors, blues, greens and violets. Mainly, she picked out dresses and skirts, but she did get a few pairs of jeans and jumpers, a number of T-shirts.

As Une's clone added a lilac top to the clothes in the cart that Odin had retrieved from somewhere, Heero turned to Duo. "What about Noin's clone? Shouldn't we get her garments as well?"

"Yeah . . . I'll get her clothes, why don't you go get the girls their um . . . under things. I don't think I can deal with picking out that." Duo said, a slight blush coloring his cheeks.

Heero shook his head. "Fine. I can do that." He said, taking the girls over to a far wall and choosing the appropriate underwear, as well as socks and leggings. It was quite unusual for him to buy such things, considering the girls were both his superiors . . . well, at least their elder versions were. Still, it was quite odd.

He returned to the cart, dropping the selections in. He saw that Duo had deposited a number of pale pastel colored garments inside the cart. A few dresses, and shirts . . . a number of jumpers and denim garments. They must be for Noin s clone, Heero decided. "They'll need bedclothes." Heero announced.

"Already ahead of ya there!" Duo replied, dropping a number of nightgowns and pajamas into the cart. "Those are for Noin's clone. Just need to get something for Lena and Une's clone now."

In only a few short minutes, Duo and Heero had gotten a number of nightgowns and pajamas for Une's clone. Relena's clone however, refused to wear nightgowns or anything girly so they would have to wait until they got to the boys department to get her nightclothes.

"Coats!" Duo suddenly announced, clapping his hands. "The girls need coats . . . oh, and gloves, hats. Can't have them catching colds outside."

Heero nodded. "Yes, it would be wise to dress them appropriately for the weather." Heero responded, pointing out a rack of winter garments.

Duo practically skipped over to the rack, the girls giggling as they followed behind him. In less than ten minutes, the girls had all the winter gear they needed, Lena once again staying with a bright red shade, while Une's clone settled for a dark shade of violet.

"I think we have everything needed for the girls." Heero said as soon as Duo and the girls had returned to the cart, setting the coats, gloves, hats and scarves into it.

Duo looked over the items in the cart for a few moments, as if calculating if that was true, then nodded. "Yeah, looks that way. If we need anything else we could always buy it later." Duo said. "Come on, let's get the boys some clothes."

"You guys don't have to go to all this trouble, really." Chibi-Duo piped in. "I don't need nothing."

"Give it up, kid. You're getting new clothes." Duo grinned, taking hold of Chibi-Duo's hand as well as Lena's. Heero pushed the cart, deciding to stay silent for the most part. Une's clone and Odin followed on either side of him.

"Well, why don't you get some clothes too? Maybe a pair of jeans?" Chibi-Duo asked. "It don't feel right you buying me all this stuff and nothing for yourself."

"I've got enough clothes, kid." Duo said, smiling down at his young clone.

"I think you'd look quite nice in a pair of blue jeans." Heero commented, lowering his gaze the moment he realized what he had said. He fought off the blush that threatened to creep onto his face, avoiding the querying look that Duo passed him.

Duo smiled. "I'll make a deal with you."

Heero blinked and looked up, meeting Duo's eyes briefly. "Huh? What?"

"I'll buy ONE outfit that consists of blue jeans and a shirt that isn't black . . . and YOU buy a new pair of sneakers that aren't a butt-ugly color. It's high time you got rid of those ugly yellow sneakers." Duo said.

Heero nodded. "Agreed. I never liked them anyway." He offered a shy smile, then quickly shook it off. "Come on." He headed over to the boys department. "We have to buy their clothes before we can get yours." He then pushed the cart in the correct direction, feeling quite embarrassed for having caused attention to himself.

* * *

Duo watched as Chibi-Duo picked various brightly colored items, then allowing Duo to hold them all for him. He didn t seem all that eager to buy anything, and Duo had to constantly assure him that it was truly all right that he pick his own clothes. Duo did help with a few though, in choosing jeans and such, but relatively he stayed out of it and let Chibi-Duo make the decisions.

Eventually, they made their way to the dressing room. Duo knew that his clone would need help. He remembered from his own experiences that his clone wouldn t know what to do with a zipper or even buttons really . . . all the clothes that he had ever had were either worn out and held up with ropes, or could just be pulled on and off his body with ease. There had never been anything complicated in his wardrobe for a long time.

Duo just stood by and waited, not wanting to interfere unless Chibi-Duo actually asked for help from him. It would be better for him to try and learn things on his own, not have things done for him every step of the way.

Duo grinned as he watched his clone try on various brightly colored articles of clothing. "Hey, short stuff . . . yellow does NOT got with purple." He grinned, watching as the boy smiled sheepishly at him. "If you're going to get that shirt, you can wear it with the denim pants you're getting." He shook his head as he wondered where his clone had gotten his taste in clothes. Then his smile faltered. He wondered if he would have been that flamboyant if he had ever been guaranteed a home. Duo shook himself out of the painful thoughts and smiled again as Chibi-Duo showed him the next combination. "I think I'll introduce you to Howard. You seem to have the same taste in clothes as he does."

Chibi-Duo frowned a little. "Shouldn't I have the same taste as you?" He asked. Then he tilted his head and looked thoughtful. "Hey . . . I've been thinking."

Duo opened his arms, and returned the hug that his clone was suddenly giving him. "What about?" He asked.

There was a long pause, as if Chibi-Duo was trying to make sure he asked the right question, then finally he spoke. "I'm a clone of you, right?

Duo nodded. "Yup. Why?" He suddenly became concerned. "It doesn't make you any less a person!" He said quickly, not wanting the child to feel inferior to anyone.

"No!" Chibi-Duo exclaimed quickly, holding up his hands to stall anything else Duo might have said. "No, that's not why I m asking." He cleared his throat. "Doctor Po said that in order to make a clone . . . like me . . . you need a piece of the original . . . like you . . . so that the clone will know what to be. Right?"

"When did Sally tell you that?" Duo asked, furrowing his brow slightly.

"While you and Mr. Heero were looking for Odin. I asked her when she was checking me over." Chibi-Duo replied.

Duo smiled, then nodded, deciding to answer Chibi-Duo's earlier question. "Yeah, you need the DNA . . . sort of like the pieces to a huge puzzle." He sat on the bench in the changing room and settled Chibi-Duo onto his lap.

"So . . . that means I'm a piece of you, right?"

Duo smiled again, and hugged his clone while he nodded. He suddenly had an idea about where this talk was going and felt a lump growing in his throat. "Yeah . . . you're a piece of me." He said, his voice cracking slightly. He looked down into eyes that were suddenly unsure and afraid.

"Does . . . does that mean you're my daddy?" Chibi-Duo asked timidly, looking up at Duo with hope and fear warring in his shimmering eyes.

Duo hugged his clone as tightly as he could without hurting the child and felt a small sob building up as Chibi-Duo hugged him back just as tightly. "If . . . if you want me to be, kiddo." Duo said, pulling back just slightly. "I'm not the best person in the universe to be trusting a kid to, but if you want to be my . . . my son . . ." He sniffled, pushing back the tears that threatened to spill. Leaning forward, he pressed a soft kiss to the top of Chibi-Duo's head. "If you want to be my son, that's fine with me. I'd be more than honored to be your dad."

"I want you as my father . . . Daddy." The child whispered, his voice muffled by Duo's chest.

Duo hugged him again, rubbing his clone's back as the child started sobbing. He knew the terror his young clone had been feeling. The fear that he'd be rejected yet again. They stayed still for a moment, just holding each other. Then Duo reluctantly drew his arms away, wiping his fingers over Chibi-Duo's face to brush aside the tears. "Come on, we have to get finished in here before Heero breaks the door down looking for us." He chuckled lightly, offering a smile as he helped his clone back into the plain jeans and sweatshirt that each of the children had been issued at Headquarters, before gathering up their selections and opening the door.

* * *

To Be Continued . . .


	10. Part Ten

Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.

Notes: Trowa takes his clone shopping. Duo and Heero continue with their shopping trip and have lunch with the kids.

* * *

Young Hearts

Part Ten

* * *

Trowa hated the road that he was currently driving along. It was full of potholes and uneven pavement and all sorts of things that could cause his clone to awaken. After one particularly harsh bump, Trowa glanced over, noting the slight flinch the child made in his sleep. It was obvious that he would wake up soon. Trowa only hoped that he wouldn t react too badly.

Only moments later, the entire truck was rocked by a rather rough spot. Trowa heard a frightened gasp, looking over just in time to see as the clone whimpered and tried ineffectually to pull at the seatbelt binding him to the seat. He was terrified. It was apparent on his features, and with the way he wriggled. The clone was panicking, fear of confinement overriding his common senses. He managed to get out of his seatbelt, then began rolling down the window, rising to stand on the seat.

Trowa quickly pulled over onto the side of the road and slowed to a halt. He didn't want the child to jump out the window and hurt himself. Frowning, Trowa reached over and wrapped his arms around the child's body, pulling the thrashing boy back and closer to him.

The clone reacted by biting Trowa's arm harshly, yelping and crying as he tried to wriggle away from his elder self. He fought and clawed at Trowa's arms, kicking and shaking his head from side to side. Through all of this, Trowa merely held him, not too tightly though. He didn't want to hurt the boy.

"Sshh." Trowa hushed, his arms secure around the young clone. "It's me . . . it's Trowa. Do you remember me?" Trowa asked, keeping his tone quiet and calm.

Slowly, the clone stopped thrashing. He lay in Trowa's embrace, breathing raggedly in short pants and gasps. He grunted lightly, nodding his head in affirmation of Trowa's query.

"You're safe with me. You know that, right?" Trowa asked, loosening his hold.

The child squirmed out of Trowa's arms, moving farther away and facing Trowa. Once again he nodded, his eyes roaming over Trowa s features as if to make sure it was the right person, then he looked down at the floor.

"I'm going to take you shopping for new clothes, and then we will go and spend time with a friend of mine. We'll be staying the night with her. Okay?" Trowa wanted to be sure that the child knew just what was to be happening. It would keep him relatively calm, or at least more at ease if he knew where he was heading.

The clone nodded, watching Trowa out of the corner of his eye every now and then. He quietly put his seatbelt back on, curling his legs close to his body as Trowa drove the truck back onto the road. The clone was frightened, but Trowa knew that nothing would be able to help that. So he just carried on with his plans, heading for the nearest shopping establishment.

As he parked in one of only a few empty spaces, Trowa heard a sharp gasp. He looked over, watching in concern as his clone shivered. The child's eyes were darting around wildly, his attention focused on the many people that walked around outside.

"I know this won't be easy for you, but you need clothes." Trowa said, seeing how terrified the boy had become once again. He wasn't too thrilled about being around so many people himself, but he knew that he had a job to do. The child did need clothes.

The boy turned to Trowa, his eyes wide with fear. He shook his head, sliding back away from Trowa slightly. He did not want to go out there.

Trowa unbuckled his seatbelt. "I'm sorry. But you do have to come with me. You won't be alone with all those people, I'll be there with you." Trowa assured him, watching as the child uncurled his body.

The child hesitantly unbuckled his own seat belt. Then he moved closer to Trowa, slipping his hand into Trowa's palm. Trowa lightly held the boy's hand, knowing that it had taken a good deal of trust for the clone to do even that. Trowa moved slowly, getting himself out of the truck and guiding his clone along with him. The boy jumped in fear as Trowa shut the door of the truck, sticking close to his elder self as Trowa walked across the parking lot and into the department store.

However, once he was inside, Trowa paused, unsure of what to do. He wasn't an expert at shopping . . . didn't truly know what to buy for a child. Perhaps he should have asked for help from one of the others. Trowa threw that thought out quickly. He couldn't have allowed anyone else to come with them. The clone was frightened enough as it was.

Well, clothing should be first, Trowa decided. All he had to do was find out where boys clothes were located. Trowa looked around, seeing a number of signs to lead the way around the store. He squinted, trying to read the printing on one, but just couldn't make it out. With a sigh, he gave up, lowering his head and shaking it in annoyance.

When he raised his gaze, Trowa looked around again. This time he sought out employees of this place. When he found one, a perky red-haired girl, he walked over to her, tapping on her shoulder lightly to gain her attention. "May I help you?" She asked politely, a warm smile on her face.

With the clone hiding behind him, Trowa nodded. "Yes, where can I find the boys clothing department?" He asked.

The girl smiled again, pointing down a wide aisle. "Go that way, turn right and just head straight ahead. Boys and mens clothes are located at the back of the store."

Trowa nodded. "Thank you." He replied, then headed in the direction that he had been shown, the young clone fearfully following him close. He paused for a moment near a cart return, taking one of them. He would rather not carry everything. Trowa pushed it with one hand, his other hand still held firmly by the child beside him.

When they reached the clothing department, Trowa looked around. He pushed the cart into the section, finding first a shelf display containing underwear. He looked down at the clone, frowning when he had no idea as to the size of the child. With a shrug, Trowa reached over and grabbed the first pair he found. He knelt down, shaking the loose pair unfolded, then held them to the clone's waist. They would be too large, he decided. He did this until he found the right size, then grabbed a couple packages of several pairs and tossed them in the cart.

Next he picked up several pairs of socks, then moved to the back wall and stood in front of the jeans. He looked to the child beside him. "You will need to try these on." Trowa said. "I don't know your size."

The clone shook his head, apparently not wanting to do that. Still, Trowa knew that he would have to. He couldn't get the child appropriate clothes if they were unsure of his size. Different companies sometimes had different views of sizes. The ones that fit the child here, might not be the same as the size of the jeans the Preventers had issued for him to wear. With a sigh, Trowa chose several pairs of jeans of varying sizes and deposited them in the cart.

"You'll need shirts. Do you have any preferences?" Trowa asked.

Slowly, the child reached up, grasping the front of Trowa's shirt and tugged, grunting lightly.

"You want to dress like me?" Trowa asked, wanting to be sure he understood.

The clone nodded.

"You do not have to dress like me." Trowa said, but when he saw that the child actually did want to wear garments like his, he sighed again.

He quickly made his way over to a rack of shirts, picking dark-colored turtlenecks. Again, he knew that the clone would have to try them on first. He also chose a number of T-shirts and one or two dress shirts, then several pairs of pajamas once they reached that section.

He stopped by the dressing rooms, looking down at the clone by his side. "Come on." He said, taking the clothes from the cart and nodding to the assistant on duty outside. She showed them to a closet-sized room, then hung a colored hanger on the outside of the door, returning to her station without a word.

The clone stopped just outside the room. Trowa dropped the clothes on the bench, then turned to face the boy. "Come on." He said quietly, reaching out to take the child's hand, gently urging him to step inside the small compartment. "You do have to try these on. If you want, I will stand outside."

The child nodded, then looked at the clothes.

Trowa smiled faintly, then strode out. "If you need me, I will be out here. Make sure you keep track of what fits you or what you like." He said, then closed the door and stood just outside, knowing that he would have to be close if he wanted to offer assistance when needed.

It took a while, but eventually, the child emerged from the room, his small arms loaded with clothes. Trowa took them from him, smiling faintly. "Are these the ones that fit?" Trowa asked.

The clone nodded, then went back into the room and got the ones that didn't fit him. Trowa dropped the clothes they were going to buy into the cart, then took the ones they weren't buying and put them in the child seat of the cart. They returned to the clothing section and returned the clothes that didn't fit, then made their way to the shoe department, briefly stopping to get a winter coat as well as accessories. After getting sneakers, it was a quick walk to get the child some towels, then to the health and beauty aides department, where they picked up the necessary toiletries that he would need.

Trowa stopped by the toy department, debating with himself whether to buy something for the child or not. He had never had toys as a child, but maybe they would help the clone fit in more if he got them. "Find something you like, and I'll buy it for you." Trowa said.

The clone looked up at him, a genuine look of surprise on his face. Apparently, he had not expected to be given toys. Still, the child made his way down the aisle, looking over the various toys while Trowa followed behind him with the cart. He bypassed the action figures completely, ignoring the imitation weaponry. The doll aisle was passed by, as well as toy cars.

Finally, the clone stopped, looking back to Trowa unsurely before he reached up and grabbed a stuffed animal. It was just a simple black bear with bright green eyes. Trowa knelt down beside his clone. "Do you want this?" He asked, running his fingers over the soft fur on the stuffed animal's back.

The clone nodded, biting his lip as he looked to Trowa. He looked worried, as if he was fearing that Trowa would snatch the bear away from him and put it back on the shelf.

Trowa smiled, rising to his feet again. "You may have it then. Why don't you carry it until we reach the checkout." Trowa said, his heart warming as the child gave him a tentative smile. As small as it was, it still made Trowa feel pleased to see it. They finished their shopping a few minutes later, waiting in line so that they could leave. Next to him, the clone hugged his bear, still staying close to Trowa.

* * *

Heero sighed, loading the bags into the trunk of the car. They had gotten clothes for the clones, and Heero had volunteered to take them to the car. Duo and the clones were still inside the mall, Duo shopping for a pair of jeans and a shirt that wasn't either black or red. Heero knew where they were, so he wasn't worried. The box containing his new shoes was the first to go in the trunk, Heero had already bought them while waiting for Duo and his clone to emerge from the dressing room. He knew his size, what he wanted. It had been no trouble to go to the nearest footwear store and purchase them.

When he had gotten back, Heero assisted his own clone in getting clothes, watching as Odin stayed with neutral colors. White and black tops with blue and black jeans . . . that had been what Odin had chosen for his wardrobe. His pajamas were simple, functional and comfortable, nothing more, nothing less.

As soon as they had left the store, Heero had said that he would transport their new things to the car, leaving the clones their coats and winter garments. He didn't want them catching a chill. Duo rummaged around in the bags before Heero took them, finding a small package of elastic bands. Heero wondered what he meant to do with them, since Duo and his clone had already braided their hair.

Once Heero finished shoving the bags of clothes into the rather spacious trunk, he closed it. He turned on his heel and walked back into the mall, heading into the store that Duo told him they would be in. Within only a few minutes, Heero found the children crowded around a dressing room, most of them looking rather bored as they waited for Duo to come out.

Duo stepped out, nervously picking at the blue shirt he wore and looking quite unsure. "I don't know if I like this." He said, looking down at the blue jeans he wore. Then he looked up and noticed Heero. "Oh, Heero . . . you're back." He said, then smirked. "So . . . um . . . what do you think?" He asked.

"It looks good on you, Duo." Heero said, nodding. All of the clones agreed with him, Chibi-Duo clapping energetically.

Duo blushed, then ducked back into the dressing room. A few minutes later, he came back out, dressed in the clothes he had been wearing before. "I'll get them then." He said, heading over to the checkout line. As they walked out of the store, Duo tied the handles of the bag together, then looked down at the kids. "Hey, you guys hungry?" He asked.

Chibi-Duo nodded. "Yeah!" He announced happily. The other children also answered affirmatively.

"Good, what do you say we get the kids some lunch at the food court?" Duo asked.

"Yes, I think that would be wise." Heero replied, setting his hand on Odin's shoulder and leading the child away. He knew that Duo would follow behind him, all the other clones in tow.

They ordered their food. Heero chose to stay at the counter to await the meal, with Odin by his side to help him carry it all. Duo took his own clone and the girls and went to find a place for them all to sit. When Heero finally made his way over to the table, he found Duo sitting in a seat, pulling Lena's hair into a single ponytail.

"There ya go, little lady." Duo said, smiling brightly as he hefted Lena onto the seat beside his.

"Thank you, sir." Lena politely replied.

Heero couldn't help the trace of a smirk that made its way across his face. He set the food down on the table, Odin doing the same. Then Heero handed out the appropriate food to each person seated around the table. It wasn't a good deal of food, just enough to hold them until dinner. Duo proclaimed that he was going to take them all someplace great. Heero wondered where he possibly wanted to go.

The meal was relatively quiet. Duo ate quickly, then got up to throw his trash away. Heero felt a light tap on his arm as he finished eating his own meal. He looked to the side and down at Une's clone. "Yes?" He asked.

"Will you braid my hair for me?" She asked timidly.

Heero nodded, seeing no reason not to. He wiped his hands off on a napkin. "How would you like it?" He asked.

Une's clone blushed a little. "Two braids, please. Duo bought me some ribbons. She held out her hand, which had two long violet ribbons on them."

Heero took them, urging the girl to turn. He silently ran his fingers through her hair, then separated it into halves. He set one half of the hair over the girl s shoulder, then separated the remaining half into sections. Once the hair was evenly set into plaits, Heero began to weave it, twisting the ribbon in with the strands of hair.

When Heero finished, he was left with a braid, but no way to tie it off. He looked around for something to use, only to blink as an elastic band was held out to him. He looked up, seeing Duo smiling down at him. "Nice job." Duo commented as Heero took the band.

Heero said nothing. He secured the elastic around the end of the braid, then silently went to work on the other half of the girl's hair. "There, done." Heero said, completing the task.

Une's clone turned to him and he quickly found himself being hugged. "Thank you." Une's clone said, happily. Heero only blinked, not sure how to react. Eventually, Une's clone moved away. He wasn't used to hugs, so he had not known how to react. Perhaps the next time he got one, if he did, he would be better prepared to deal with it.

* * *

To Be Continued . . .


	11. Part Eleven

Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.

Notes: More shopping. Quatre takes Raberba and Treize shopping. Duo and Heero take the kids they're watching to a toy store.

* * *

Young Hearts

Part Eleven

* * *

Quatre walked along the aisle of the store, looking for the clothing department. He wasn't used to shopping. Growing up, he'd had servants that had done that chore for him. Most of everything he owned was tailor-made, not bought in department stores, such as the one Quatre had brought the clones to.

Finally, Quatre found himself standing in the clothing department. He looked back, frowning deeply when he didn't see the children behind him. Where had they gone, he wondered, walking back the way he had come in the hopes of finding the children.

"Treize? Raberba?" Quatre called out, worried as he searched for the clones. Perhaps they had wandered off. What if they were lost? Quatre bit into his bottom lip, his worry increasing with each passing moment as he hurriedly walked along the aisles, calling out their names as he looked for the boys.

He couldn't find them . . . this wasn't good. A chill swept through Quatre's body, realizing that he was alone here. Shivers rippled through his body, fear overcoming him. Alone, he was alone here. He backed away from the aisle, moving through the racks of clothing until he hit the back wall, sliding down to the floor. He sat on the floor, shuddering, pulling his legs to his chest as he whimpered.

_*Flashback*_

The room was cold and silent. He was alone in a dimly lit place. He shivered, rocking back and forth as he cried, the padding on the wall cushioning him so that he wouldn't inadvertently hurt himself. It was a safe place, a place where he could recover, at least according to what Father had said.

He didn't want to be here. Why wouldn't Father take him home? He hadn't meant to do anything wrong. It had just been an accident, a horrible accident. He shivered and cried, emotions running ragged in his mind, fear overlaying all that he felt.

"Let me go home." He whispered to the empty room, although he knew that no one would pay attention to him . . . no one ever did. "I want to go home." He cried, cold tears falling from his eyes as he shivered, rocking back and forth on the floor.

_*End of Flashback*_

The memory faded from his mind, but not the pain. Quatre's body trembled uncontrollably, rocking back and forth as he wept quietly. No one saw him there, he was too far away from the main aisle to bother any of the shoppers.

Quatre set his face down on his knees, fear and nervousness flooding his very soul. He couldn't help it, couldn't stop the fear from assaulting him. He didn't like being alone, separated from familiar faces. It scared him. It was the reason he didn't live in his own home. There was just too much room there, and no one there to fill the emptiness.

A small hand settled on his shoulder and Quatre looked up. Through his tear-blurred vision, Quatre saw Raberba and Treize looking back at him, both of their expressions showing concern for him. Quatre reached out, pulling the both of them into a hug. He had been so worried. He shivered as he spoke, his words wavering. "Please, don't wander off like that again." He whispered, wanting them to understand without revealing his own inadequacies. Stay in my sight."

"I'm sorry." Treize apologized, as Quatre broke the hug.

Quatre smiled, wiping his hand over his face, feeling like a fool for scaring the children. "I just, I don't take it well when I'm alone." He said, feeling foolish.

"Why?" Raberba asked, innocently. "It'll be okay. If we had gotten separated, I would've gone to someone and asked them to call my . . . our father. He would know what to do."

Quatre winced, lowering his head. His father . . . Quatre had never told the boy about what had happened to him. He shouldn't put it off any longer. The child had a right to know. "Treize, would you give me a moment to speak with Raberba in private?" Quatre asked.

Treize nodded. "Sure." He said, heading over to the aisle, but not moving out of Quatre's line of sight.

Quatre turned to Raberba, laying his hands on the child's small shoulders. "Raberba . . . I . . . I have something to tell you about my father . . . our father." He said, biting his lip as he struggled for words.

"What is it?" Raberba asked, his nervousness clear to Quatre. "Did something happen to Father?"

Quatre nodded. This was going to be the hardest thing he would ever have to do . . . he knew it. He took a deep breath to brace himself. "Father didn't agree with the colonies about what a military organization known as OZ was doing. They accused him of keeping resources to himself."

Raberba blinked in shock. "But Father wouldn't DO that! He was always generous!"

Quatre smiled at Raberba's quick defense of Mr. Winner. "I know that, Raberba. The thing is, Father didn't want them to use the resources for the war." He took another deep breath and silently prayed to Allah for strength. "He destroyed the resource satellite and himself along with it."

Raberba's eyes went wide with shock and disbelief. "What?" He asked, tears shimmering in his aqua eyes.

Quatre could feel the pain radiating from Raberba, and he regretted having been the one to cause it. He met Raberba's eyes to show the child his own deep sadness and that he wasn't as calm about it as he sounded. "Father is dead. He died . . . for what he believed in. I tried to stop him, but I failed in that." He pulled the child close. "I'm sorry, but you deserved to know."

Raberba stiffened in Quatre's embrace. "Dead? Father? No! He can t be!" The boy replied, his body beginning to tremble.

Quatre rubbed the child's back. "I'm so sorry. It's all right to cry. He was our father, regardless of how we felt. We both loved him dearly, even if we didn t always get along with him." He cradled Raberba as the child's breath hitched and Raberba started to cry against him. He felt his own tears threaten to spill forth as Raberba clung to him.

After a few moments, Quatre rose to his feet, lifting the still crying child into his arms as he straightened himself. Raberba buried his face against Quatre's shoulder, holding him tightly as his tears slowly subsided. "Come on, we have to do some shopping." Quatre said quietly.

Raberba nodded silently, hooking his legs around Quatre's waist, his arms draped around Quatre's neck. Quatre carried him to the aisle and back to the children's clothes, nodding to Treize as he passed him by. Treize followed along beside him, not saying a word or asking what was wrong with Raberba.

* * *

Duo smiled to himself as he followed his 'son' into the toy store. Just the thought that Chibi-Duo was willing to be his son made Duo feel giddy. He had a son . . . and his younger self had a father. Those two facts together just made this day the best. 'Now, if only Heero would keep going along the lines he's been going.' Duo thought. He blushed as he remembered the offhand comment that Heero had made earlier regarding the jeans. 'Never thought Heero would mention how I would look . . . let alone say I would look GOOD.'

He shook himself from those thoughts and grinned as Chibi-Duo went from one display after another. It was a while before Duo realized that his clone would open his mouth, check the price, and then shut his mouth again. Duo shook his head, smirking a bit. "Hey, come here." Duo said, waving his hand to gesture the child over.

Chibi-Duo ran over, looking up at Duo. "What is it, Daddy?"

Duo's smile spread, and he wondered how long it would take for him not to get choked up at his younger self calling him that. He gently led the boy back to the last display he had been at. There were a number of items there, a group of different toys that were selling well in this store apparently. "Which one do you want? Forget the price for a moment."

Chibi-Duo looked doubtful. He bit his lip, but he did raise his hand and point, although hesitantly. "Um, there're pictures of food on that one . . . it, well . . . caught my attention."

Duo smiled. Grabbing one of the boxes. "This here is an Easy-Bake Oven, my little man." Duo said. "By following the directions and using the little packets of ingredients, you can cook up some tasty treats."

Chibi-Duo blinked, his eyes going wide. "It's a real oven? You can buy an oven in a toy store?" He gasped in disbelief.

Duo nodded. "Yup! You want it?"

Chibi-Duo nodded eagerly. "Yeah!" Then the smile faded. "But doesn't it cost too much?"

"Nah, besides we do gotta buy things to entertain you kids. I just don't want you playing with this without supervision. Got it?" Duo said, turning and carefully dropping the box into the cart that Heero was pushing.

Chibi-Duo nodded, then ran over and hugged Duo. "Thanks."

Duo grinned. "Now, you go on and find something else you like. You can have one more thing."

Apparently the child didn't need to be told twice. In an instant he ran off, turning quickly and running down an aisle. Duo chuckled. Behind him, Heero growled. "You're going to spoil him." He hissed.

Duo turned, meaning to say something in reply, only to blink as he saw that Heero's attention had already been diverted. Duo turned, looking in the direction Heero was, only to see that Odin had picked up a simple red ball. The boy was looking at it, as if he had never seen a ball before.

Heero walked over, Duo quickly following along behind him. Duo stopped at the end of the aisle, deciding to give Heero some alone-time with his clone. Odin looked up at Heero, raising the ball to him and looking at Heero in confusion. "How does it work?" He asked.

Heero took the ball from him. "Watch." He said, then turned quickly. "Duo." He said, only a moment before he chucked the ball in Duo's direction.

Duo barely had time to raise his hands. However, he did catch it, blinking. "Hey, was there any need to hurl that at me?" Duo asked, meaning to give Heero a piece of his mind. However, he stopped his rant when he heard a light chuckle, looking in shock at Odin only to see a smile on the child's face.

"Woah!" Duo gasped. "Hey, Heero . . . you should try that sometime." Duo said, lightly tossing the ball to Odin, who caught it and smiled faintly.

"What?" Heero asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Smiling." Duo replied, gesturing to Odin before turning and walking away. He did have to keep track of the other kids. Before he turned, he looked back at Heero. "Let the kid have the ball . . . and get him at least one more toy. I'm sure he can find something else he wants in this store. A few toys each won't spoil the kids."

* * *

Heero scowled at the back of Duo's head while they stood in the checkout line of the toy store, even though his heart wasn't really in making such a menacing scowl. It was rare to see Duo so genuinely happy. Most of the time, the smile was a mask. Today . . . Heero had caught a glimpse of what Duo might have been like if he had been raised as a normal child. Something about that made Heero feel better. And he had to admit, Duo was right about the toys. Odin was standing beside Heero, clutching the red ball, and the expression on the child's face bordered on pure happiness. Heero almost envied the boy.

Heero smiled, gently taking the ball from his clone. "We have to pay for it. You can have it back later." He assured the boy.

Odin nodded. "Okay." He said, his eyes locked on the ball as Heero set it on the conveyor belt along with the rest of the toys.

All of the children had gotten at least two toys. Lena had chosen a stuffed horse, as well as a couple sets of toy cars. Duo had chosen a Raggedy Ann doll for Noin's clone, as well as a few coloring books and crayons to keep her occupied when she finally woke up. Une's clone had to be convinced that she was allowed the toys she wanted, since they were a little more pricey than what the other children had chosen. But according to Duo's reasoning, she had every right to get the two toys she wanted most at this moment. Since she wouldn t be getting anything special again until birthdays or Christmas. So, Une's clone had gotten a jump rope and a dollhouse, which would have to be assembled, as well as a very delicate-looking doll. It had a porcelain face, hands and feet, the rest of her body was soft. Tthe clothes it wore were violet, with a white apron, and in her hair were two violet ribbons, her hair color was much the same as Une's clone. The girl had feared that she would damage the doll, but Duo had convinced her that she could take care of it well.

Heero did think it was nice of Duo to purchase such things for her, even if the bill was going on Lady Une's personal account. Chibi-Duo was quite happy with his toys. Besides getting the oven, he had picked a rather large stuffed cat. It was almost as big as he was. And Odin had taken a liking to a set of Legos as well as a stuffed dog. He hadn't been able to choose which he liked better, even after detailing the pros and cons of purchasing both. Heero had put both in the cart to relieve the boy of the stress of choosing.

Finally, once they had paid for all of the toys that were chosen, Heero, Duo, and the children returned to the car. They wanted to help Heero put the stuff away. Heero had no reason to object. So between the six of them they were able to manage getting all of the bags and the box containing the doll house back to the vehicle.

Heero grunted, opening the trunk. He pulled the bags of clothes out, knowing that the dollhouse would have to go in first. It just barely fit, laying on the floor of the trunk. Heero was now happy that he had chosen a vehicle with a large amount of trunk space. Then he loaded the toys in, followed by the parcels from the clothing store. He looked around, being sure that everything was inside before he closed the trunk.

"If we buy anything else, it will need to go on the floor of the backseat." Heero said, taking hold of Odin's hand as well as allowing Une's clone to hold his other.

Lena and Chibi-Duo were holding either of Duo's hands. They walked back into the mall. Duo had said that there was something else they needed, but he hadn't elaborated on what it was. So Heero merely followed him, looking around every now and then and wondering where he and the children were being led.

After several minutes, Duo headed toward one of the stores. "Duo, why are we going into a book store?" Heero asked, curious as to why Duo wanted to go inside.

Duo paused, then turned. He bit his lip, then said something to Chibi-Duo and Lena. When the children were in the store, Duo walked over and knelt in front of Odin and Une's clone. "Will you two go inside and look in the kids section for anything you want? I gotta talk to Heero for a moment." Duo said.

Odin turned, looking up at Heero as if to ask if it was all right. Heero nodded to the young boy and Odin walked into the store. Heero looked up at Duo, and titled his head slightly. "What?"

Duo took a deep breath, as if steadying himself. "We need to get books. Not just for entertainment, although that's a good reason to buy them." He said, not meeting Heero s gaze.

Heero noticed the embarrassment on Duo's face, and figured out the reason on his own. "He can't read, can he?" Heero asked.

Duo sighed, slumping his shoulders. "No, he can't. I got into a lot of trouble at school, when I went to school. I was smart, hell yeah . . . but the teachers didn't care about the poor little charity case from the orphanage. They let me do whatever I wanted and simply said I was a bad student . . . disruptive. They couldn't care less about helping me learn such a basic thing. I picked it up easily once someone did take the time to teach me."

Heero nodded in understanding. "So we need basic books so your clone-"

"Son." Duo interrupted.

Heero blinked. "What?" He asked, feeling confused.

Duo smiled a little. "God help him, Heero . . . he wants to be my son. He asked me in the dressing room when I was helping him out. He wants ME to be his father." He said, laughing a little. "And I can't help but want the same thing."

Heero frowned a little. The clones were more like brothers to the originals, but a part of him could understand Chibi-Duo's reasoning. We need basic books so your son can learn how to read. He said, strolling into the store, Duo quickly following behind him.

A short time later, the six of them walked out again. Heero found himself carrying two bags loaded with books. Duo was walking behind him, carrying two similar bags and grinning quite happily. Odin and Chibi-Duo each carried a bag, having wanted to help.

Heero glanced back, stopping in his tracks as he found that one child was missing. Une's clone simply wasn't there. "We're missing someone." Heero stated, looking around.

Duo sighed, then nodded in the direction of a pet shop. "Kids like animals. I bet she went in there." Duo said, strolling over to the store.

Heero followed Duo, the clones trailing along behind them. He had a strange sense of foreboding. Silly as it was, he did NOT want to go into a pet store. Pet stores almost always had puppies . . . and there was a chance that he would see one that looked like . . .

_~~ I m not lost at all. I'm taking Mary for a walk. ~~_ A childlike voice from the past called out in his mind.

Heero almost inaudibly sighed. He really did NOT want to go into the pet store. Still, he knew that he would have to. They couldn't leave Une's clone behind. So he followed Duo's lead, allowing the children to go ahead of him as he entered the store.

The scent of animals assailed his nostrils. He stayed near the door, blinking as he looked in. His eyes widened, flashes of memory rapidly returning to his mind as he watched Une's clone lean over the edge of a small pen, picking up a puppy. It didn't look like Mary, but still the memories came.

A wave of panic pushed past his defenses, his hands started shaking. Heero dropped the bags that he had been carrying, backing away from the door, just wanting to be away from there. He stopped and dropped to sit on a wooden bench, leaning forward and covering his face with his hands, pushing back the urge to cry. He would not show weakness. He would not allow himself to cry over this.

"Heero?" A small voice whispered.

Heero looked up, frowning when he saw his young clone standing in front of him, dragging the three bags over to the bench where Heero was sitting. Apparently, he had picked up the books that Heero had dropped and put them back in the bags himself. Against his will, Heero felt a stray tear fall from his eye.

Odin said nothing. He set the bags down on the floor, quietly climbing up to sit on the bench beside Heero. Without a word, he crawled onto Heero's lap, curling his arms around Heero's body. Heero flinched, stiffening in the embrace. Hesitantly, he wrapped his arms around Odin, setting his chin down on the child's head, sinking into the tender embrace the child had given him. Neither of them saw the person watching them, nor the sly smile of Duo Maxwell as he turned to head back into the pet store.

* * *

To Be Continued . . .


	12. Part Twelve

Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.

Notes: Trowa arrives at the circus with his clone. Catherine meets the child for the first time and quickly comes up with a name for him to use.

* * *

Young Hearts

Part Twelve

* * *

Trowa smiled a little as the circus came into view. He could almost smell the hot dogs that several of the performers . . . as well as the customers . . . enjoyed eating. Trowa preferred Catherine's cooking though. But that was because she treated him like he was family . . . like a brother.

He glanced to the side, at his young clone, and offered what he hoped was a calm smile to the terrified child. "No one here will hurt you." He said, trying to assure the boy that he would be safe here. "Actually, Catherine might become like a lioness to protect you. You should have seen her one time during the war . . . she scared Quatre off. You remember Quatre, the one with the blonde hair that got you to come out of the van."

The boy's eyes widened as it to say, 'Why would anyone want to scare Quatre off?' He didn t truly ask it, but it was obvious by the shocked expression on his face.

Trowa shook his head, answering the silent question with a faint smile on his face. "Because she wanted to protect me. I was . . . unwell . . . and she didn't feel that Quatre's presence would be good for me. She kinda likes him now." He slowed then stopped the truck and watched as the look in the boy's wide eyes changed from one of question to a look of pure fear.

"You can hide if you want to. I understand. I'll bring Catherine here, okay? She'll protect you from everyone else. You'll like her." Trowa said, thinking back on Catherine and how he was fond of her. "There's just something about her that draws me to her. I don't think we'll ever be more than just friends, but . . . I can't explain it." He blinked, shaking off the thoughts. "You can stay put if you want, though. I'm taking the keys so I'll be the only one able to unlock the door."

He watched the clone scramble, moving to sit on the floor of the truck, then push himself as far back as possible. Trowa sighed as he reached over and locked the passenger side door, then got out of the truck before locking and closing the driver's side.

Trowa turned, taking a few steps away from the truck. He was about to walk into the encampment, when he heard Catherine's pleasant voice. "Trowa!" She called out joyfully, running over to greet him. "It's so good to see you. Have you come to stay awhile?"

Trowa held up his hands. "It's good to see you too, Catherine." Trowa said, smiling if only slightly. He returned the gentle hug that Catherine gave her, not fearing her like he did so many others.

Catherine took hold of his hand, then turned. "Come on, I'll fix dinner and we can talk." She said, taking a step.

"No, not yet." He said, turning and heading back to the truck, Catherine's hand still clasped with his own. "Cathy . . . don't make any sudden moves or loud noises, okay?" He said.

"Why, Trowa? What happened? Do you have a wounded squirrel in there like last time?" She asked, watching the truck warily.

"No . . . something much more fragile. Something much more frightened." Trowa said, reaching out and unlocking the door. He opened it, reaching out his other hand to the boy huddled on the floor. "Come on out. This is Catherine. She sort of adopted me as a brother. I swear to you that she won't hurt you."

Trembling, the child took hold of Trowa's hand, allowing himself to be led out of the truck to stand partially hidden behind Trowa. Trowa looked back, just in time to see Catherine blink at the fragile boy. She knelt down, a bright smile on her face. "Oh . . . hi there, sweetie." She said kindly. "What's your name?"

"At that age . . . I didn't have one." Trowa said, responding for the silent boy.

Catherine looked up at Trowa, obvious confusion on her face. "Huh?"

Trowa sighed. "He's a clone of me . . . complete with my memories." Trowa said. "He won't speak and he has no name. I did not have a name of my own until just before coming to Earth in my Gundam the first time."

Catherine reached out to the clone, frowning when he flinched and hid behind Trowa more, his body shivering in fear. "Trowa, what happened to you that would make you that frightened?" She asked.

Trowa shook his head. "Trust me, you don't want to know." He replied.

Catherine nodded, not asking anything further on the subject, then rose to her feet. "So, why did you bring the little fella here?" She asked.

"I need to collect my belongings. All of the pilots, as well as a few others have been cloned, ten clones in total. The five of us have been given the assignment of seeing to their care for the time being. We're going to be staying in one of Quatre's estates." Trowa replied, then he smiled. "Also, I figured a good meal would be beneficial for him . . . and you do cook very well."

Catherine blushed faintly. "Oh stop, there's no need for flattery. Of course you can stay. Do you need any help with anything?"

"There are a few bags in my truck . . . I purchased several things for the boy." Trowa replied, bending slightly and picking up his clone. "Could you help me bring them in? I would rather not carry around all of his things in bags, so I purchased him luggage as well, just enough to hold what I bought for him."

Catherine nodded. "Of course I'll help." She jogged over to the truck, shaking her head as she saw all that Trowa had bought. Trowa reached in and grabbed several with his one free hand, smirking as Catherine took hold of a few others. "Come on, Trowa. I'll show you where the trailer is."

Trowa complied, following as Catherine led the way. He greeted the performers around him with a nod if they spoke first, whispering calming things to his clone if he felt the child stiffen in his arms or attempt to get out of his grasp. A few minutes later, Trowa stepped into Catherine's trailer.

He set his clone down, watching as the boy found a dark corner to hide in rather quickly. Trowa set the bags down, searching through a couple until he found what he wanted. With a few long strides, Trowa reached his clone's side, holding out the stuffed bear that the child had picked out in the store. The clone reached out, wrapping his arms around it hastily as he brought it to his chest.

"He'll calm down soon." Trowa said, turning to look over his shoulder at Catherine. He sighed, moving over to a nearby chair and sitting down. "It would be easier if he had a task to do. With the mercenaries, I sometimes forgot to be afraid when I was working."

"Well, then why doesn t he help me bring the rest of the bags? You can pack, while I keep him busy." Catherine offered. "But after dinner."

"Yes, that would probably be a good idea." Trowa said.

"Great, I'll just get dinner ready then, while you set the table." Catherine smiled, turning and heading to the kitchen area.

Trowa chuckled lightly, feeling more at ease now. He got up, locking the door of the trailer to prevent the clone from attempting an escape, then went into the kitchen. He gathered what he needed, then set the table. Then he opened the refrigerator. "What do you want to drink?" He asked.

"Juice will be fine. Give that boy a glass of milk though . . . it's good for him." Catherine said, stirring the contents of a pot. "You're lucky you got here when you did. I was just starting dinner when I heard that hunk of junk of yours pulling up."

Trowa smiled, pouring two glasses of juice and a glass of milk. "Almost ready?" He asked.

"Yup, just about. Get the kid in here and I'll dish up."

Trowa nodded, heading back out to the other room. He looked over at his clone. "Come here." He said quietly, watching as the boy rose to his feet, slowly approaching to stand in front of Trowa. "After dinner, you will go and help Catherine with all the stuff we purchased today. Okay?"

The boy nodded hesitantly, clutching that bear more tightly.

"She won't hurt you." Trowa said. "You can trust her."

The child nodded again, his face still showing fear. There was nothing else that Trowa could do about it though. He sighed, taking hold of the child s hand and leading him to the kitchen. He guided the boy into his chair, then took a seat himself, watching as Catherine bustled about for a few more minutes before she sat across from him.

Dinner was pleasant. Catherine and Trowa conversed between mouthfuls of food. Although Trowa didn't eat all that much, he found the food to be delicious. The clone merely watched the two of them, listening and paying careful attention. He visibly calmed around Catherine, which was quite a good sign. It meant that he was slowly beginning to feel a tentative trust with her. It would be a long time before he trusted her completely, but it was good that he was at least this calm around her.

After dinner, Catherine rose from her seat. She held out her hand to the clone, waiting patiently until he slid from his seat and took hold of it. Then she left, taking the clone with her, leaving Trowa with the task of clearing the table and putting the leftovers away.

* * *

Catherine looked down, casting a warm smile to the child that walked along beside her. He looked simply adorable holding that bear. Trowa had sure been a cute child. "You know, I've known Trowa for about three years now, and he's never spoken much about his past. I know it wasn't pleasant for him, so I don't ask." She stopped, kneeling down in front of the boy. "And I won't ask you either. I just want you to know . . . I'd protect Trowa with my life, and since you and he are basically the same, I'll consider you just as much a part of my family as he is."

A brief flicker of a smile appeared on the child's face. It was enough to satisfy Catherine though.

"Hey . . . you know what . . . you look kinda like my baby brother." She pulled a locket out from under her shirt, opening it and showing the pictures inside to the nameless boy. It was a picture of Catherine's parents . . . Catherine and her father on one side, Catherine's mother on the other side. In her arms, Catherine's mother cradled little Triton. "I lost them all a long time ago, just a short time after this picture was taken." She reached up, gently brushing her fingers over the boy's cheek, surprised when he didn't flinch away. "I think I'll call you Triton. Would you like that?"

The boy nodded slowly, the smile lingering on his face a bit longer this time.

"That's a great smile you have, Triton." Catherine said, rising to her feet again. "I'm glad I was able to help put it there." She held out her hand, smiling as he took hold of it. "Come on, let's get those bags back to the trailer so you can get some sleep. I bet you're pretty tired."

When they got to the truck, Catherine handed Triton a couple bags, deciding to take the rest herself. On the way back, Catherine stopped in her tracks, hearing the booming voice of the circus manager. He wasn't yelling at her, but his voice did carry a good distance. More likely than not, one of the others had done something he hadn't liked again.

Catherine's eyes widened, turning quickly. Triton was gone. The bags he had been holding were lying on the ground, but the boy was nowhere to be seen. 'Great, Trowa trusts me with this kid, and I lose him in less than half an hour.' Catherine muttered to herself. She picked up the bags, heading quickly to the trailer to tell Trowa the news.

* * *

Trowa was calmly packing when Catherine rushed into the trailer, almost completely out of breath. "Trowa, it's Triton . . . I mean your clone. I lost him!" She exclaimed, dropping the bags she held.

Trowa's eyes widened. "You lost him?" He asked in disbelief, dropping the garment he had been folding only a moment ago. "How could you lose him?"

"We were on our way back. I heard the Manager yelling at someone and then I looked over at Triton to see if he was okay. But he was gone." Catherine replied.

"Triton?" Trowa asked.

Catherine blushed slightly. "I . . . well, I gave him a name. I asked him and he said he didn't mind . . . well, actually, he just nodded, but still . . ."

"Catherine," Trowa said, interrupting her. She was worried, it was quite obvious, but there was no need to panic. "Where did you see him last?"

"Near Mike's trailer." She replied.

Trowa sighed, feeling very relieved. He knew for a fact that Mike kept his trailer near the animals. As one of the handlers, he was quite adamant about keeping a close watch on those in his care, most specifically the large cats.

Trowa knew where the clone was, the same place he would go in the same situation. Trowa had always had a fondness for animals . . . the lions especially. He had seen a circus once as a child, only in passing with the mercenaries, but from where they were he could make out the lion cages. They had captivated him even then. The child would have the same memory, since Trowa had been younger than he was when he had seen them.

He went back to packing. "Look with the lions." Trowa said calmly.

"What?" Catherine nearly shouted.

"If he's not there . . . then I'll be worried." Trowa said, smiling a little. "The lions won't hurt him. He's not a threat to them."

Catherine still looked dubious. "Are you so sure of that, Trowa Barton?" She asked, crossing her arms and giving him a glare.

Trowa sighed, putting down the folded shirt. "Perhaps finding out for yourself will convince you." He suggested. "If you wish, I will go with you. And if . . . Triton . . . is not there, then we will search for him."

Catherine nodded, then grabbed his wrist and pulled him from the trailer. Trowa had no choice but to follow her. When they got to the lion cages, Catherine stopped. Just as Trowa had said, the boy was there . . . although Trowa hadn t quite expected the boy to actually be in the cage with the animals.

"He must have slid between the bars. He is thin enough." Trowa commented, a gentle smile forming on his face as he observed his clone.

The boy was asleep, curled up next to a lioness with her cubs . . . as if he were one of them. It was rather sweet, Trowa thought. The boy was no more afraid of the lions than Trowa was, and so it wasn't at all dangerous for him to be near them. They accepted him, recognizing Trowa's familiar scent on the child.

"I told you he was fine." Trowa said. As he watched, the lioness gently nudged Triton. In reaction, the child moaned lightly in his sleep, snuggling closer to the large cat and her litter of offspring.

Catherine sighed. "I guess you were right. Sorry for worrying you." She apologized, a small laugh escaping her as the lioness licked the side of Triton's face. "Do you think we should get him out?"

Trowa nodded. "He deserves to sleep in a bed." He said, opening the door of the cage. He was careful in removing Triton, waking the child before getting him to leave on his own. Trowa wasn't about to anger a mother lion by appearing to steal one of her cubs. It was better that Triton left under his own free will. Once Triton was out, Trowa closed the door of the cage.

Triton wearily rubbed his eyes, yawning widely. Trowa picked him up, cradling him gently as he made his way back to the trailer. Triton curled closer, already asleep as he clutched his bear to his chest, probably not even realizing that he was being carried. 'The poor boy must be exhausted,' Trowa thought . . . he had just had quite a long and stressful day.

"Better put him to bed." Catherine whispered, running her fingers through Triton's hair as she held the door of the trailer open.

Trowa smirked, nodding. He silently headed into the second bedroom, thankful that Catherine had such a large trailer, and set Triton down on the bed. Catherine appeared in the room only a few moments later, dropping off a pair of pajamas for the boy to wear, along with the toothbrush that Trowa had purchased for him and toothpaste.

"Come on, Triton . . . you need to get changed." Trowa said, sitting the boy upright on the bed.

Triton yawned again, his eyes opening minutely. He saw Trowa, and blinked. Then he looked around, unsure of where he was.

"You're in Catherine's trailer." Trowa said, untying and pulling off Triton's sneakers. "It's time for bed . . . so you go on and get changed and brush your teeth." He said, handing over the needed items.

Triton nodded tiredly, taking his things and disappearing into the bathroom. Several minutes later, he came back out, dressed in his pajamas, and carrying the clothes that he had worn that day. He handed everything over to Trowa, then climbed onto the bed. Trowa set the clothes aside, smirking as he pulled the blankets up for the clone, getting him settled in bed.

"If you need anything, I'll be sleeping on the floor. Catherine only has the two beds, and her sofa isn't all that comfortable." Trowa said, waiting for the child to nod before he turned away from him.

He walked over to the door, smiling when he looked back and saw that the child was asleep again, snuggling against the bear in his arms. Trowa shut off the light, leaving the door open slightly, enough for just a sliver of illumination to show through. Trowa hoped that the boy would get a good night s sleep. Triton would undoubtedly be nervous tomorrow, once they moved into Quatre's estate and he had to be around others again.

* * *

To Be Continued . . .


	13. Part Thirteen

Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.

Notes: Duo and Heero take the kids to dinner and then it s off to Quatre s estate where an unfortunate accident occurs.

* * *

Young Hearts

Part Thirteen

* * *

Duo sighed in agitation. "What do you MEAN the shake machine is broken?"

The chirpy blonde cashier just smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry sir, but the Assistant Manager forgot to order the mixes, and we have to wait until the next shipment comes in. Is there anything else you would like?"

"Yes." Duo sighed again. He had gotten his heart set on giving his clone his first taste of chocolate today. It didn't look like it was going to happen, not now anyway. He smiled down at Chibi-Duo. "Sorry about that."

Chibi-Duo smiled back. "It's okay, Daddy. There's gonna be a next time, right?"

"You betcha!" Duo said, ruffling the boy's bangs. He turned back to the now-surprised cashier to give his order. They had gotten it straight on the ride over here. "Okay then . . . you ready?"

The cashier smiled and raised a finger so that it was poised over the screen. "Whenever you are." She replied.

Duo nodded and was really grateful that he had a photographic memory. He took a breath before relaying his order to the cashier. "We want . . . One Nugget Happy Meal with one of every dipping sauce, one Hamburger Happy Meal, two Cheeseburger Happy Meals, a salad, a water cup, and a Number 1 Super Sized with extra cheese. This will be for here." He smiled at the girl. "Catch all that?"

The girl nodded. "Yes, sir. That was four Happy Meals: One nugget with all the sauces, one hamburger, two cheeseburger. One salad, one water, and one Super Sized Big Mac Meal with extra cheese." She handed the cups over and pointed to the beverage machine. "Beverages are over there."

Duo grinned. "You did well, and you were a great sport about me complaining."

The girl brightened even more. "Thank you, sir. And might I say that you have an excellent son? Many children would have started screaming when they learned there would be no shakes for them."

Duo smiled, not letting the girl in on the truth . . . his clone had simply never had chocolate before in his life. He didn't know what he was missing, hence he didn't complain when he couldn't have it. After a short wait, they had their food. Heero got the drinks, while Duo and Chibi-Duo carried the trays of food over to where Odin was keeping a seat for them. The girls followed Duo.

The kids took their seats and Heero and Duo started handing out the food and drinks. There was the Nugget Happy Meal with all the sauces for Chibi-Duo, along with a Coke to drink. Odin was having a plain Hamburger Happy Meal with water to drink. Heero was having the salad. The girls got the Cheeseburger Happy Meals with diet drinks and Duo had the Super Sized Big Mac Meal. Once all the food was given to the right people, Duo and Heero took their seats.

Chibi-Duo opened his Happy Meal. Reaching in, he blinked as he pulled out the toy surprise from inside. "You mean this place just GIVES kids toys? JUST for eating the food?" He asked, his tone one of shock.

Duo smiled and nodded. "Yup."

Chibi-Duo smiled widely, setting his toy aside and pulling out his food. He set his dipping sauces in a line, opening all of them. He started eating, slowly, apparently savoring each and every taste. Duo wasn't so languid though. He packed his food away rather quickly, finishing it all before Heero had finished his salad, with the exception of his drink, which he sipped at slowly.

Chibi-Duo looked up at Heero. "You want one?" He asked, holding a nugget that was covered in honey up to Heero's lips. "Go ahead, try it."

Heero smirked, then took a bite of the nugget. "It is quite good." Heero commented, while Chibi-Duo just giggled and finished off the remainder of the nugget.

Duo blinked, biting into his bottom lip as he watched a dollop of honey get swiped off of Heero's bottom lip by a slow lick of the young man's tongue. What an enticing sight, Duo thought, his jaw dropping open. Naughty little thoughts were swarming through his mind. He wondered what it would be like to have licked that off of Heero himself, his dirty mind coming up with pictures of Heero nude and covered in honey.

Duo shook his head, grabbing his Coke and taking a long drink. He stopped those distracting thoughts, not wanting to get a hard-on and have to explain it to Heero or any of the kids. That would be quite embarrassing. Besides, Heero didn't like him like that. There was probably no chance of getting Heero to let him lick honey off of his beautiful body. With a sigh, he drank his Coke, wishing it could have been different between them.

* * *

Heero closed the trunk firmly and followed Duo inside the large house. He had to admit . . . Quatre's estate was a great place for the children. There was plenty of room for them to run around. He watched as Duo crouched down in front of the four clones that had been left in their care. The two girls stayed where they were, while Chibi-Duo ran off, yanking Odin by the hand behind him. Heero felt his lips quirk at the sight and wondered if things would have been different between Duo and himself had they known each other as children.

"What's the problem?" Heero asked, wondering why the girls had stayed when the boys had not.

Duo turned and smiled at him. "No problem. I told the kids they could explore. These two little ladies are a bit sleepy, though."

Heero nodded. The girls did look rather tired. "There are two more bags in the back seat. You get them and I'll lead the girls to one of the rooms." He watched Duo walk toward the car . . . and was briefly captivated by the gentle swaying of the chestnut braid, before shaking his head to clear the errant thoughts away.

"Come on, let's see if we can find a bedroom." Heero said, taking hold of either girl's hand, leading them further into the house.

It took a moment of searching, but they eventually found a furnished bedroom. Many of the rooms were empty, although they looked as if there had been furniture within them very recently, within the past day or so. He found a bedroom with two twin beds inside. Within five minutes, Duo bounded into the room with a couple bags in hand.

"Okay, I got nightclothes, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and a change of clothes for you to wear tomorrow." Duo announced, setting the two bags down. "We'll sort everything else out in the morning."

"Thank you." The girls chimed in near-unison.

Heero watched as the two of them took the bags and hurried into the bathroom adjoining the bedroom. They were quite cute, he thought . . . nice as children. He idly wondered if Relena would end up the same as her elder-self. He turned to Duo. "I think Relena should be informed of her clone." He stated.

Duo nodded. "Zechs and Noin as well. Perhaps they'll take in their clones and treat him like family." Duo said, shrugging. "We can only hope for the best in this situation. They might not want children at this point, but someone's gotta take care of the little guys and girls."

* * *

Chibi-Duo wandered around aimlessly, not knowing exactly what to look for. He had never been in a house so big. It was HUGE. He wondered how many people could live in here, how many families. The whole gang as well as the Maxwell Church orphans could probably reside here with no trouble. That Quatre guy must be loaded with money.

Behind him, Odin was following. Chibi-Duo looked back, smirking when he saw the kid was looking around with just as much awe as he was. Unlike earlier today, Odin was showing a lot more emotion on his face. Maybe Chibi-Duo's personality was rubbing off on him. He hoped so. It would be nice to have a friend to play with in this place.

Chibi-Duo reached up, turning the knob of a door. He stepped through, suddenly finding himself outside, his eyes going wide as he looked around. Wow! He gasped, running forward a few steps. Water, lots of it, just sitting there in the center of the ground Chibi-Duo wondered what it was for, and why the ground was sunken in like this and covered in tiles. Maybe it was some kind of odd collecting place . . . kinda like the tubs Sister Helen had Chibi-Duo put out whenever it rained.

Chibi-Duo considered this, walking around the edge of the water. He didn't want to get too close, not wanting to fall in. He didn't know how to swim, never came across a large enough stash of water to learn either. Chibi-Duo looked up, his brow furrowing when he found some strange board protruding over the edge of the water. What the heck was that for?

He leaned forward, only meaning to get a closer look at it. However, with new shoes and a wet floor, it was quite easy to slip, and Chibi-Duo soon found himself off balance. He tried to grab onto that board, to stop himself from falling, but his hand slipped. With a splash, Chibi-Duo found himself choking on foul tasting water. Icy needles pricked at his skin, sending shivers through his small body as he fought to get to the surface. Finally, he managed it, but he couldn't stay up . . . he didn't know how to. He panicked, opening his mouth and letting out a harsh scream, only to end up swallowing a mouthful of water as he was pulled under again.

* * *

Heero looked up in bewilderment, after having tucked Une's clone in for the night. "Did you hear that?" He asked. "It sounded like a splash."

Duo frowned and tilted his head, stepping back from the bed where Lena was now resting. The two of them stepped out into the hallway, closing the door behind them, listening and waiting for the earlier sound that Heero had heard.

Heero watched as a look of horror crossed Duo's face when the sound was repeated, followed by sounds of distress. "Oh my God! THE KIDS!" Duo yelled. He turned and ran down the hallway at what had to be his top speed.

Heero followed his friend, freezing when he ran outside and saw both Odin and Chibi-Duo in the pool. It looked as if Odin was trying to help the other boy out, but Chibi-Duo was obviously panicking. As soon as he was close enough, Duo jumped into the pool. There had been no other choice. Due to the struggling of Chibi-Duo, both boys were out of reach.

Heero turned and ran back into the house, grabbing a number of towels from the bags of stuff they had purchased that day. Then he ran pack to the pool. Heero watched as Duo pushed the two boys to the closest ledge. He rushed over and helped pull Chibi-Duo out first, then his own clone. Heero quickly stripped the two shivering boys of their clothes and wrapped them in the dry towels.

"We g-gotta g-get em inside." Duo stuttered, gathering the wet clothes while obviously trying to hide his shivering.

Heero nodded once and decided to work quickly. Something told him that Duo wouldn't see to his own needs until the boys were tucked into bed and safe. The group had split up and the rest of them wouldn't arrive until later, so they had their choices of rooms. Heero picked up his own clone, allowing Duo to carry the other and hurried back into the house. He decided to check the rooms around the one the girls were in. Luckily it didn't take long to find one that had twin beds in it . . . he declined using the one he had found with the full-size bed, deciding to allow Duo the use of that one.

"Do I even want to know how you both ended up in the pool?" Heero asked, setting Odin down on the bed and rubbing the towel over his small body vigorously.

Duo's clone spoke softly. "So th-that's what it is. I d-didn't know what it was, so I w-wanted to g-get a c-closer l-look." He ducked his head, while Duo dried him off. "I'm s-sorry! I g-guess you're g-gonna send me t-to an orphanage now."

Heero took a second towel and wrapped it around Chibi-Duo's head. "No. We're not going to send you to an orphanage. Duo promised you that he wouldn't. He doesn't lie." He turned to his own clone and quirked an eye.

The child understood the silently spoken question perfectly. "I c-couldn't let the b-baka drown. I woulda g-got him out on my own, b-but his struggles g-got us in the middle." He said.

Heero nodded. "Duo, get them dry . . . I'll go and get pajamas for them to wear." He said, rising from his seat and heading out of the room. He paused at the door and looked back, frowning when he saw Duo. The braided ex-pilot was chattering up a storm to hide the chattering of his teeth. He was cold and needed to get warm as well. Heero decided to tend to his partner after the children were settled in bed.

Heero went down and looked through the bags near the door. Eventually he found two pairs of pajamas, one for Odin and the other for Chibi-Duo. While he was there, he grabbed another towel, tossing it over his shoulder. Then he returned to the bedroom where he had left Duo and the boys.

Carefully, he got the children dressed into the clean pajamas, after having torn the price tags off of them. Then he set both Odin and Chibi-Duo in the same bed. A twin size was large enough for the two of them. Plus it would help them to get warmer faster if they shared body heat with each other. When they had both laid down, Heero pulled the blanket up to cover them, tucking the edges in around their bodies.

Duo spoke up suddenly. "D-Do you g-guys w-wanna hear a s-story?" He asked.

Chibi-Duo bit his lip. "Um . . . maybe tomorrow. You gotta g-get outta them wet clothes."

Heero saw that the boy had a wistful look on his young face. He felt proud of the child. It was obvious that Chibi-Duo did want to hear a story, but Duo needed to get warmed up. Heero nodded in approval when Chibi-Duo looked at him.

Duo gave his clone a shaky smile and gently ran his fingers through Chibi-Duo's wispy bangs before he bounded out the door. Heero had an almost unbearable urge to brush his fingers through his own clone's bangs, seeing the contented expression that the simple act had left on Chibi-Duo's young face.

"You can . . . if you want to." Odin said, as if reading Heero's thoughts. "I don't mind."

Heero blinked and then gave into the urge, not missing the tiny smile on the child's face. He nodded once and stood up. "Good night." He said, then turned to leave the room. He looked back once, nearly smiling as he watched Chibi-Duo snuggle up against Odin's body, both the children safe in bed. Then Heero turned off the light and left the room.

He stopped when he was outside. Duo was sitting on the floor in the hallway, trying to get his clothes off, but not having much success due to limbs that weren t working properly. Heero knelt beside his partner. "Can you walk?" He asked.

Duo shook his head. "N-No . . . I d-don't think s-so."

Heero nodded, scooping Duo into his arms. He carried the shivering young man to the room with the full size bed. He set Duo down on his feet, then quickly stripped him of his clothes, scowling at the deep purplish tinge Duo's lips and fingernail beds had taken. He pulled the towel he had grabbed earlier and used it to dry Duo's body somewhat, then he wrapped it around Duo's braid, allowing it to soak up the moisture.

Heero pulled back the quilt on the bed and guided Duo to lie down. After covering Duo, Heero quickly stripped his own clothes off and got into bed, knowing that his own body heat would warm Duo faster. He did keep his boxers on though, not wanting to seem as if he were making amorous advances when they were not wanted.

When Heero pulled Duo against him, Duo chuckled softly . . . obviously not really aware of what he was saying. "M-Man . . . of all the t-times I d-dreamed of b-being in your arms . . . n-never d-dreamed it d b-be like th-this." He said.

Heero shook his head at Duo's unconscious flirting. He knew that Duo didn't mean what he was saying. Duo didn't care about Heero in that way. This had just been another of his jests. Even when in this condition he made jokes. "Baka." He said, frowning. He was concerned . . . Duo was like ice against him.

Duo snorted and curled closer to Heero's warmth. "Th-thanks . . . l-love you t-too." He said, his voice trailing off until he fell into sleep.

Heero frowned, feeling an ache in his heart as Duo said those words. Too bad Duo hadn't truly meant it. Sometimes the young man's jokes left Heero yearning for actual affection from him, although he knew that it would never happen. Duo just didn't care about him in that way. "Hn, baka." Heero whispered, watching Duo sleep for a few moments. There was nothing more he could do for the braided youth, so Heero closed his eyes and fell asleep, mentally telling himself to awaken in two hours to check on Duo's progress.

* * *

To Be Continued . . .


	14. Part Fourteen

Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.

Notes: Heero heads downstairs to greet Quatre and Wufei. The children are put to bed.

* * *

Young Hearts

Part Fourteen

* * *

Heero opened his eyes. Glancing at his watch, he saw that indeed it had been two hours since he had allowed himself to fall asleep. A slight movement from Duo caught his attention. While Duo's skin was no longer chill, the young American felt just a little too warm to Heero as he placed the back of his hand first to Duo's forehead, then to Duo's cheek.

Then Heero heard something from outside, the sound of the front door opening and closing. He slipped from the bed, taking care not to awaken Duo, and quickly got dressed in the clothes that he had been wearing earlier. Gently, he tucked the blankets in around Duo's body, ensuring that he d be warm. Then he turned and left the room, quietly closing the door behind himself before he headed downstairs to see who had arrived.

Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, Heero saw that it was Wufei and Quatre, along with their respective clones and the clones of Milliardo and Treize. All of the children looked tired, except for Raberba . . . Heero was almost certain that was the name that had been given to Quatre's clone . . . who was fast asleep in Quatre's arms. Actually, upon further observation, Heero found that Raberba's face was marred with tear tracks and his body jerked every once and again, letting a few weak sniffles out as he clung to Quatre's body.

"What happened to him?" Heero asked, gesturing toward Raberba.

Quatre sighed, setting down the few bags he had been carrying. "I . . . well, I had to tell him about Father." Quatre said, lowering his gaze. He deserved to know.

Heero nodded minutely. To learn that his father was dead was probably what had contributed to Raberba's current emotional state. Heero considered telling Quatre about the pool. He didn't know if now was the right time to bring this up, but he felt that he should warn Quatre in case the young man didn't know. Plus, Wufei should be warned to ensure the safety of all the children. "Quatre, you should be informed that your pool controls are malfunctioning."

Quatre gasped, his free hand flying to his mouth. "Allah, I forgot. I meant to call you when I got here. I didn't expect any of you to get back before me. Was anyone hurt . . . the children . . . are they okay?"

Heero held up his hand. "We are all fine. Chibi-Duo apparently slipped and fell in. Odin jumped in to save him but was not strong enough to pull the other boy to the edge. Duo jumped in to get them both. All of them are resting now." He looked around at the other boys. "Which I believe your clones should be doing as well."

"Yes." Quatre nodded. "I believe we all could do with a good night's rest." He picked up the bags he had set down earlier. "Come along, Treize . . . let's find you and Raberba a room." He said. He paused as he was passing by Heero and looked to him, quite a serious expression on his face. "Forgive me for failing to notify you. I did mean to call."

"There's been no harm. Neither the children nor Duo seem dangerously ill. Duo has a slight fever, but no other symptoms. With rest he should be fine." Heero said.

Quatre smiled, but only barely. Then he continued on up the stairs, Treize following close behind him. Treize was obviously fighting sleep. Heero watched them until they were out of sight, then turned back to Wufei.

"Do you need help bringing in any parcels?" Heero asked.

Wufei shook his head. "No, most of the things we bought can stay in the car for the time being. I have already brought in what they will wear tonight and tomorrow, as well as necessary toiletries." He replied. "If you will excuse me, I will take these two and also seek out a room."

"I don't wanna go to bed. I wanna see my sister." Zechs s clone argued, tiredly rubbing his eyes.

"I am sure that she is well, Milliardo." Wufei sighed. "You can see her in the morning."

Milliardo shook his head, clinging to a stuffed monkey that was hanging around his neck. "No, I wanna see her now." He stated.

"I'll take him to see Lena." Heero said. "I know which room they are in and can guide him there."

"Thank you, Yuy." Wufei said, stepping past Heero and walking up the stairs. His clone followed behind him, carrying a single small bag.

Heero stepped over to the pile of stuff that he and Duo had purchased earlier. He picked up Duo's duffle bag, which had been packed during the short stop they had made at Duo's small apartment. They had made a similar stop at Heero's residence, where he had packed his belongings. He picked up his own bag as well.

He shouldered the bags, then returned to the stairs and held out his hand. "Come along, Milliardo. But please be quiet . . . there's no need to awaken the girls."

Milliardo nodded, quickly taking hold of Heero's hand and allowing himself to be led up the stairs and to the room where Lena and Une's clone were currently sleeping. Heero waited by the door, while Milliardo ran in, looked Lena over to make sure she was well, quietly kissed his sister on the forehead then ran back out. "Thank you, sir." He said politely, yawning.

"Come, it is time for you to get some sleep." Heero said, once again guiding the boy away. This time however, he found the child a place to sleep. Wufei was waiting by a door.

"I put Milliardo's things in here." Wufei said, then turned and walked away, eventually turning into another room and closing the door behind himself.

Heero glanced into the room, seeing that Treize occupied the other twin-sized bed in the room. On the bed, in a small pile, were a few garments as well as a toothbrush and toothpaste. Heero showed Milliardo where the bathroom was. He waited until both boys were in bed before turning off the light and closing the door.

Heero returned to the room where Duo was resting. He opened Duo's bag, pulling out a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. Carefully, he garbed Duo's sleeping body. Then he changed out of his own clothes and into a pair of sweat pants. They would do for now . . . there was no need to wear anything more, especially since he would be sharing warmth with Duo.

Quietly, Heero climbed into bed, positioning himself behind the slumbering American, hesitantly draping his arms around Duo's form. He hoped that the braided youth wouldn't despise him for taking such liberties when ensuring his health. Heero gasped, surprised when Duo turned in his light embrace. Duo snuggled closer to Heero, pressing his feverish face up against Heero's chest, while one of his legs curled over and around Heero's body, pulling the two of them flush against each other.

"Heero." Duo murmured lightly in his sleep, a gentle smile crossing his attractive features.

Heero blushed slightly, a faint smirk curling his lips as he set his head down on the pillow. The whispered sound of his name passing through Duo's tempting lips gave Heero some amount of hope. Perhaps Duo wasn't so averse to the idea of them being together. Maybe there was a chance, even a slim one for them to be more than just friends. Heero sure hoped so. With a strange warmth in his heart, Heero closed his eyes and settled himself down to sleep. He pressed his cheek against the top of Duo's head and took a long deep breath, inhaling Duo's scent before sleep claimed him for the second time that night.

* * *

Quatre sighed, taking a seat on one of the twin beds in the room. In his arms, Raberba stirred, moaning as his small hands clutched tightly around Quatre's body. The boy sniffled, burying his face deeper against Quatre, the feeling of dampness spreading through Quatre's shirt as the child wept on him.

"Sshh." Quatre hushed, running his hands along Raberba's back soothingly. He set his head down on the boy's head, gently rocking the youth back and forth in the hopes of calming his disrupted feelings. Quatre could feel the hurt and pain in the child, knew that he was suffering, and he wanted to help.

Across from them, sitting quietly on the other bed, Wufei's clone simply watched them. He was tiredly wiping at his eyes, but did nothing in preparation for bed, as if waiting for Wufei to tell him what he should do. He was quite obedient, probably from a strict upbringing.

"Tian Bao . . . go and get ready for bed." Wufei instructed, stepping into the bedroom. He took a quick glance in Quatre's direction, but said nothing.

"Yes, sir." The child replied, taking his pajamas and heading into the bathroom. A few moments later, he came back out, his hair loose from the tight ponytail he had been sporting earlier.

Wufei picked up Tian Bao and set him down on the bed, covering him with the blankets. Then he took his turn in the bathroom, changing into his own bedclothes. However, he did not go back over to his bed. Instead, Wufei knelt in front of Quatre. "Go and get yourself ready for bed, Quatre . . . I will keep an eye on Raberba until you return." Wufei said, setting his hands on Raberba's back.

Quatre nodded, gently pulling Raberba away from himself. Wufei took the boy, whispering something in Chinese quietly. Raberba sniffled, but latched onto Wufei, hooking his legs around Wufei's waist as he buried his face once again. Quatre reluctantly left the room, taking with him a set of his pajamas which he changed into. Once he was ready for bed, he returned to the bedroom.

"Thank you, Wufei." Quatre said, taking Raberba when the child was handed over to him.

Wufei nodded, saying nothing in reply. The Chinese youth walked over to the other bed, climbing under the covers to lie beside his clone. Quatre carried Raberba to the bathroom, as well as bedclothes for him to wear.

Quatre set Raberba down on the edge of the bathtub. Gently, he tugged off the sweatshirt that the boy was wearing, tossing it into a nearby hamper. He smiled at the boy, nimbly swiping his fingers along the child's cheeks to brush away his tears. His eyes were red, his nose runny . . . and every now and then he would hiccup.

Quatre got up, grabbing a few squares of toilet tissue. He held them to Raberba's nose. A moment later, the child blew his nose. Quatre tenderly wiped his face off, keeping a kind smile curling his lips as he tended to the saddened boy. With gentle urgings, Quatre got Raberba dressed in his bedclothes, tossing the jeans he had been wearing into the hamper along with his socks. He left the boy s shoes in a corner, then picked Raberba up again, deciding that his teeth wouldn't all fall out if they missed just one brushing. Besides, Raberba needed to sleep. It was plainly obvious that the child was exhausted.

On his way to the bed, Quatre turned off the light. Then he climbed into bed, setting his clone down first. When they were both in bed, Raberba curled close, setting his head down on Quatre s chest while Quatre covered the both of them with blankets. Quatre hugged his clone close, weaving his fingers through the boy's hair, humming a tune gently while his cheek lay atop the child's head.

Quatre forced himself to remain awake, wanting to be sure that Raberba was resting peacefully before he gave into slumber himself. Eventually, Raberba's breathing evened out, his sniffles subsiding. He whimpered in his sleep off and on, but Quatre knew there was nothing he could do to stop that. The child was grieving the loss of his father. Even if he was a clone, he did have memories of the elder Mr. Winner as his father . . . so to the boy Quatre's father was his own father as well. Quatre only hoped that the boy wouldn't grieve for too long . . . children should be happy. Raberba deserved happiness, just as much as any other child.

* * *

To Be Continued . . .

* * *

_Okay, a lot of people have been asking me how old the clones are. So I m going to tell you. Roughly, their ages are as follows:_

_Treize, Milliardo and the clones of Une and Noin are about ten years of age._  
_Triton is about eight._  
_Odin, Chibi-Duo, Lena, Raberba, and Tian Bao are seven._

_The ages correspond with their time in the pods and cannot be altered so please don t ask me to make them younger. I hope this answers your questions._


	15. Part Fifteen

Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.

Notes: Trowa wakes up in the middle of the night and tends to his clone after Triton has a nightmare. Heero wakes up in the morning and gets breakfast for an ill Duo.

* * *

Young Hearts

Part Fifteen

* * *

Trowa snapped awake. Looking around the room, he noticed that it was dark . . . nowhere near sunrise. He wondered what had caused him to awaken this late at night, however saw nothing out of the ordinary. He raised himself to a sitting position then stilled himself, straining his ears to listen for any sounds. If there was something wrong he would be sure to hear it now that he was wide awake.

A shrill cry pierced the silent atmosphere . . . something was wrong with Triton. Trowa threw the blanket away from himself, jumping to his feet quickly. Catherine burst out of her room, flicking on the light and momentarily blinding Trowa.

"Was that Triton?" Catherine asked, fear lingering in her eyes.

"Let's find out." Trowa replied, hastily making his way over to the room where Triton was sleeping, while Catherine followed at his heels.

Trowa pushed the door open, turning on the lights as he entered the room. Catherine was only seconds behind him. The sight before them, left Trowa shocked. Triton was sitting up in bed, crying and shaking, rubbing his eyes with his small hands. The child's bear was lying on the floor, and a recognizable and unpleasant odor wafted through the air, making Trowa curl his nose.

Catherine rushed past Trowa, kneeling down in front of the bed. She raised her hand, probably to brush aside Triton's bangs. However, the child took the movement as a threatening gesture and recoiled away, covering his face with his arms as he turned on his side to avoid a physical assault.

Catherine clucked her tongue in a loving tone, gently laying her hands on Triton's back. "Oh, I won't hurt you." She whispered. "Wetting the bed is nothing to be ashamed of. You must have had quite a nightmare." She gently urged Triton to look at her. "Now, why don't we get you cleaned up so we can all go back to sleep . . . okay?"

Triton nodded, looking at her with an expression of pure disbelief on his young face. He obviously hadn't expected kindness in light of what he had done. It was probably difficult for him to understand kindness in such an instance.

Trowa stepped forward, laying a hand on Catherine's shoulder. "I'll take care of him. You change the bedding, okay?"

Catherine nodded, smiling. "I'll make him some warm milk too . . . with some honey to sweeten it. It'll help him sleep." She grasped Trowa's hand, giving it a firm squeeze before rising to her feet and striding out of the bedroom.

Trowa watched her leave for a moment before giving Triton his undivided attention. He took a seat on the edge of the bed where it was dry, his gaze soft as he looked down at his trembling clone. "Your nightmares, it was of the mercenaries?" Trowa asked, remembering his own nightmares of the past.

Triton nodded, wiping his small fists over his eyes again, sniffling. Trowa slowly reached out, brushing aside the sweat-soaked bangs. He had knowledge that would help his younger self. So now was a good time to inform him. Perhaps it would help with his nightmares to know the truth.

"They're all dead now, you know." Trowa said, offering what he hoped was a comforting smile to the child. "All of the mercenaries . . . every last one of the ones that hurt you . . . they died years ago."

Triton looked up, a silent question burning in his emerald eyes.

"On a mission . . . we were ambushed, betrayed . . . they all died, except for me." Trowa said, smirking. "They can never hurt you again."

The smile on Triton's face was small, but it was there. Trowa knew that the boy wasn't going to mourn the loss of those he had been raised by . . . Trowa hadn't mourned them himself. Triton looked down at himself, then back up at Trowa with an embarrassed and frightened expression on his young face.

Trowa understood him perfectly though, even if the child didn't speak his mind. Still, he wanted to be sure of what the child wanted, just in case he was mistaken. "You want to get cleaned up now?" Trowa asked.

Triton nodded in affirmation. Trowa knew that the boy would not speak. Not only was it forbidden by the mercenaries that had raised him, but his silence was also a way of protecting himself. If no one heard him, then they might not see him, a tactic of being less noticeable to people that could hurt him. The boy would eventually speak if given time to heal his emotional wounds, Trowa knew that.

"I'll give you a choice. If you want to be left alone, put your hands behind your back. I'll just get a bath ready for you and leave you to clean yourself. However, if you want my help . . ." He held out his hand. "Then take hold of my hand."

Quietly, his body shivering, Triton reached out and hesitantly took hold of Trowa's hand, his eyes holding a look that bordered on pure terror. Gently, Trowa helped Triton out of bed, letting him walk on his own as he led the boy into the bathroom.

Trowa closed the door behind the two of them, not missing the fact that Triton was frightened of being alone in a room with him. Still, it couldn't be helped. Trowa smiled once in Triton's direction, releasing his hold on the boy's hand as he stepped over to the bathtub. Silently, he drew a warm bath for the child, making sure the water was warm without being scalding. He grabbed a fluffy soft towel along with a couple washcloths, setting up everything nearby. Trowa turned off the water when he felt it was at a suitable level.

When he turned, Trowa found that Triton was standing near the door, still dressed. The boy was looking warily at Trowa, biting his lip while his arms remained firmly wrapped around his small body. Trowa held out his hand, gesturing for the boy to step forward. Triton quickly, yet fearfully complied, stopping not too far away.

Slowly, Trowa pulled Triton's arms from around his frame, lightly tugging at the garment that he wore. "This will be easier if you undress." Trowa commented.

Triton nodded slightly, a flicker of terror invading his green eyes momentarily. He raised his arms, allowing Trowa to pull his top off for him. His body trembling, Triton stripped off the rest of his clothes. He stared down at the floor, everything about him exuding fear at his current lack of clothing.

Without a word, Trowa picked Triton up, gently depositing him in the tub of warm water. He applied some soap to a washcloth, then handed the lathery cloth to Triton, allowing him to wash himself for the most part. "I'll just wash your back." Trowa informed the child, not wanting to frighten him further. Then he soaped up the other washcloth, making sure that there was a good lather before he gently began cleaning the child.

It went easily enough. Triton flinched with every touch that Trowa made to his back, but he didn't try to get away. He quietly scrubbed himself off, yawning tiredly every now and then. He looked quite tired. Of course that was to be expected since it was the middle of the night and the bath was most likely soothing to him. Trowa rinsed the suds from the boy s body, pulling the plug to let the water drain from the bathtub.

He grabbed the fluffy towel, shaking it open, then wrapped it around the child and picked him up. Triton merely allowed the contact, not objecting to it at all. Quietly, Trowa carried the tired child out of the bathroom and back to the bedroom, where he found Catherine smoothing out the wrinkles on the fresh sheets.

"There's a fresh set of pajamas on the dresser there." Catherine pointed out, as Trowa set the child on the edge of the bed, running the towel over his body to dry him. "I figured that he'd need something to wear. Why don't you get him dressed while I get that warm milk for him to drink? Although it hardly looks like he'll need any help falling asleep."

"Okay." Trowa nodded, continuing the gentle rubbing to dry off the child's body . . . there had been no need to wash his hair so it had remained dry.

Trowa left Triton's side just long enough to grab the fresh clothing. Triton allowed Trowa to help him get dressed, every now and then wearily rubbing at his eyes and yawning. It was obvious that Triton was tired, or else he probably would have objected to all of this. Trowa himself did not like human contact all that much, and Triton was even more fearful of it than he was. It was understandable given their shared memories.

Trowa picked up Triton s bear, then took a seat on the bed by the child, holding the stuffed animal out for him to take. Triton leaned ag'inst him, yawning once more as he curled his arms around the bear. It wasn't long before Catherine returned to the room, a mug held in her hands.

"Here ya go." Catherine smiled kindly, sitting on Triton's other side. "Milk with a touch of honey to sweeten it up."

Triton took hold of the mug, drinking slowly. When he was finished, he handed the mug back to Catherine, giving her a gentle, albeit small, smile. Catherine brushed her hand through his hair as she rose from her seat. Trowa stood as well, picking up Triton along with him. Catherine pulled back the blankets on the bed, while Trowa set Triton down. However, before Trowa could straighten up and move away, Triton grasped his wrist as if his life depended on it, his eyes holding a desperate pleading look as he grunted slightly.

Catherine's hands lightly fell on Trowa's back. "Aw, the poor baby . . . he probably feels safer with you, Trowa." Catherine said. "I don't think he wants you to leave him."

"I guess I will have to sleep here then." Trowa said, nodding if only to himself. He wouldn't want to disappoint the child or cause him any strife. If Triton wanted Trowa to sleep with him for comfort, then Trowa would do so.

Carefully, Trowa picked the boy up. Catherine took him from Trowa's grasp, holding him while Trowa got into bed. Then Catherine set Triton down, bringing up the blankets to cover the both of them. She smiled, watching as Triton immediately curled closer to Trowa, his small arms holding the bear between their two bodies as he snuggled his face up to Trowa's chest. Trowa himself was quite pleased at the amount of trust the child was showing . . . it was a great leap in his normal state of timidity. Hesitantly, Trowa wrapped his arms around Triton, wary of scaring the boy as well as of the contact himself.

"Trowa, he's not going to break." Catherine stated, smirking at him. "I think he needs someone to hold onto . . . might do him good to feel positive touches instead of the harsh ones I'm sure he's only known. It could calm him down eventually if he's shown kindness."

Trowa nodded. "Yes." He said quietly, pulling the boy closer, his arms slightly tighter around the boy's small frame. He wished that he had been shown a similar amount of kindness in his own childhood. Trowa knew then that he would make sure the child did get better. He'd grow up to be the person Trowa should have been.

"Goodnight, Trowa." Catherine said, smiling pleasantly to him.

"Sleep well." Trowa responded, laying his head down on the pillow as Catherine flipped off the light and left the room. Triton moaned lightly, not out of fear but comfort, a sound that pleased Trowa to hear. Trowa smirked, closing his own eyes and letting sleep come to him, hoping that his clone would be able to grow up to be the person that Trowa hadn't been able to become himself.

* * *

Duo slowly swam up through the layers of unconsciousness. He sighed in contentment, basking in the delightful warmth that surrounded his weary body. He didn't know why he was so warm when just last night he had been so unbearably cold, but he did like the feeling.

Blearily, he blinked open his eyes. He bit his bottom lip, his eyes widening as he found his face pressed up against a strong, muscular chest. Realization dawned on him, and Duo remembered that Heero had climbed into bed with him last night. He frowned inwardly, knowing that Heero had only meant to keep him warm and nothing else. This contact between them was only to preserve Duo's health. Heero had no feelings for him, not in the way that Duo so fervently wished he did anyway.

Carefully, slowly, using his years of training so as not to make a sound or brush Heero's skin in the wrong way, Duo moved himself back a bit, just enough to see his face. Good God, Heero was simply beautiful, his features so gentle and serene when he was asleep. He looked so innocent . . . as if he had never been in a war, as if he had never trained as an emotionless killing machine.

Duo's gaze settled on Heero's lips, feeling a strong temptation to kiss them. He had loved Heero for a while now, but knew that the feeling was not mutual. Heero only thought of him as a friend, if that much at all. Still, Heero looked damn good right now. Duo bit his lip, thinking over his options. Why not take the opportunity presented to him? Heero was asleep. He'd never know that Duo had taken such liberties if Duo was careful enough.

After a moment of thought, he gave into the urge and leaned forward, just barely brushing against Heero's inviting lips with his own. The feeling was electrifying, the taste of Heero's warm lips was delicious. Yet, Duo resisted the urge to deepen it, reluctantly drawing himself away before Heero could awaken. Smiling in satisfaction, Duo closed his eyes and snuggled against Heero's body, setting his head against the Japanese youth's chest as he sighed. He did love the feel of the young man's body pressed so delightfully close to his own . . . he might as well enjoy it while he could.

It wasn't long before Heero shifted slightly, apparently awakening. His arms drew Duo closer briefly, then loosened, his one hand moving to settle on Duo's shoulder. "Duo?" He asked, his voice tainted with a hint of weariness.

Duo faked a yawn, opening his eyes as he rolled onto his back, pretending that he was just waking up himself. He winced, a headache pounding in his skull as he offered a sheepish smile to Heero. "Hey, good morning." He frowned, raising a hand to the side of his head, closing his eyes . . . his head hadn't hurt that much a moment ago, of course Heero's beauty was a very enticing and distracting sight. "My head is killing me." He whimpered, hating it when he didn t feel well.

Duo blinked his eyes open, feeling as a cool hand settled on his forehead, then touched his cheek. "You have a fever." Heero stated, looking down on Duo with a note of concern in his eyes. "Stay here. I'll go check on the children and see about getting you breakfast."

"I can get my own breakfast." He argued, not really wanting to stay in bed.

Heero shook his head. "You are not well, Duo. If you get out of bed, you will only aggravate your condition. If you relax, then perhaps you will not get worse."

Duo sighed, seeing that Heero did have a point. "Yeah okay. Just make sure you bring me something good to eat . . . I don't want anything weird either. Cereal or waffles, not the bland stuff you usually eat."

"Fine." Heero conceded, slipping out of bed. He leaned over and adjusted the blankets around Duo, making sure to cover him more securely. Duo blinked, blushing slightly at the amount of attention he was getting. He just wasn't used to it. Besides, having a half-naked Heero leaning over him was a very pleasant thing.

* * *

Heero straightened out the blankets, being sure that Duo was sufficiently covered. He didn't want Duo to catch a chill, not when he was on the verge of illness. Smirking once more at Duo, Heero straightened out and turned to leave. He reached out, grasping the handle of the door, ready to leave even if he was clad only in a pair of sweat pants and nothing else. He could dress after seeing that Duo got something for breakfast.

He stopped once he was outside, leaning back against the door. Tentatively he reached up, his fingers just barely grazing the skin of his lips. Had that really happened or was it all a wonderful dream? Heero shook his head. It had to have been the remnant of a dream . . . there was no way that Duo had actually kissed him.

With a sigh, Heero pushed himself away from the door, heading downstairs to see what kind of a meal he could manage to get for Duo as well as himself. However, he paused at the door to the room where he had left Odin and Chibi-Duo. He opened the door, only to find that neither child was there. 'They must have already awakened,' Heero thought, nodding to himself as he resumed his trip to the kitchen.

As he neared the kitchen however, he started to grow concerned. There was an odd commotion coming from there, as well as a particularly unpleasant scent. He frowned, hastening his pace over to the kitchen door. There, he paused, hearing the distinct giggle of children emanating from within. He pushed open the door, only to blink as he took in the sight of the room.

Apparently, Quatre had attempted to cook for the children . . . and was failing miserably. There was batter and flour everywhere, covering the counters and some of the walls. The clones were sitting around the kitchen table, their hands over their mouths as they snickered and found amusement in the act playing out before them. Wufei was sitting with them, trying to fight the grin that was creeping over his features. They were similarly covered in flour and batter, but most of it was on Quatre.

Heero watched as Quatre flipped what he guessed was a pancake. It was difficult to tell since it was misshapen. Sadly, Quatre flipped too hard and the uncooked side stuck to the ceiling. It was enough to make Heero quirk a smile . . . seeing as Quatre dejectedly looked up at the lost pancake.

"Having problems, Quatre?" Heero asked.

Quatre spun, spatula in hand. "Oh, Heero . . . Good morning." He greeted, a sheepish smile on his face. Barely a moment later, the pancake detached from the ceiling and landed directly on his head. Heero couldn't help but crack a smile at the sight.

Quatre grimaced, pulling some of the pancake from atop his head. He dropped it on the counter, sighing deeply as he picked at the sticky bits in his hair. "I only wanted to make them something to eat." He pouted.

Wufei rose from his seat and stepped forward. "I don't believe pancakes are your strong suit, Winner." Wufei commented, turning off the stove.

"Why didn't you help him?" Heero asked, looking around the shambles that had once been a kitchen.

Wufei smirked. "It was more entertaining to watch." Then he went about making more batter, managing to keep it all in the bowl unlike Quatre.

"And some people say you don't have a sense of humor." Heero smiled, if only faintly.

"Ha ha! Very funny. So I can't make pancakes. I can cook other things quite well." Quatre replied.

A small hand tugged on Heero's pants, gaining his attention. Heero looked down, seeing Chibi-Duo looking up at him, a concerned expression on his young face. "Yes?" Heero asked.

Chibi-Duo frowned. "Where's my daddy?"

"Daddy?" Quatre asked, pausing as he swiped the flour from his clothes, blinking in obvious confusion. "Heero . . . Duo was an orphan. Who is Chibi-Duo s father?"

"Duo is." Heero answered simply.

Chibi-Duo grinned and nodded. "Yup! To make a clone, ya need a bit of the original. Same thing as making a baby. You need a bit of the daddy and a bit of the mommy. That's what Sister Helen said anyway. So that makes him my daddy." He smiled proudly.

Raberba blinked, looking up at Quatre with a distressed expression on his face. Quatre looked down at the boy and smiled warmly. "You can be my brother if thinking of me as your father makes you uncomfortable."

Raberba let out a deep sigh. "Thank you." He uttered quietly, then walked back over to the table and took a seat.

"So?" Chibi-Duo tugged on Heero s pants again. "Where is he?"

Heero sighed. "Duo caught a chill last night and it looks like he got a cold because of it." He noted that the child was growing paler and thought it best to calm his worries. "It isn't anything serious."

"You're gonna make sure he gets better, right?" Chibi-Duo asked, his eyes hopeful and scared all at the same time.

Heero was unsure as to why the child was reacting so severely to such a simple thing such as a cold. Perhaps there was more to Duo than Heero knew. "Of course I will." He nodded. "I came down here to get breakfast for him."

"The pancakes will be ready soon." Wufei stated, flipping over a nicely formed pancake. Heero noticed that Quatre was glaring at the sight slightly, perhaps a touch jealous that Wufei could make such normal looking pancakes.

Shaking his head, Heero turned his attention away from Quatre and stepped over to the refrigerator. He opened the door of the appliance, taking out a carton of orange juice. He poured some of the juice into a glass after he had acquired one. Quatre found a tray from somewhere and placed it on a counter for Heero's use. Heero thanked him, then set the glass of juice down on the tray.

Only a few minutes later, Wufei finished cooking a stack of pancakes and handed the plate holding them over to Heero. Heero nodded his thanks and set about getting any other necessary items, setting utensils on the tray as well. When he was satisfied that he had everything required, he left the kitchen and headed back up to serve Duo s breakfast to the ill young man.

* * *

To Be Continued . . .


	16. Part Sixteen

Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.

Notes: Trowa awakens and readies to leave for Quatre's estate. Catherine makes a surprising discovery and speaks with Trowa about it.

* * *

Young Hearts

Part Sixteen

* * *

Trowa awoke to the smell of food cooking. He opened his eyes and glanced down, a tentative smile working its way across his features as he saw that Triton was still asleep beside him. The boy had shifted sometime during his slumber and his arms were both wound around one of Trowa's arms now. The bear that he had been holding still lay between the two of them, although apparently forgotten since the child had found something else to attach himself to during the night. Trowa didn't mind the contact though, knowing that he shouldn't discourage such affection from Triton, even if the boy had only done it while he had been asleep.

After another minute, Triton's brow furrowed a little bit . . . he was apparently beginning to awaken. Trowa felt a moment of worry as the child frowned. He hoped that Triton wouldn't suffer a setback due to waking up to their close proximity. When the distressed expression slowly changed to a calmer one, Trowa relaxed himself and managed a small smile for Triton as the child opened his eyes. "Good morning." He whispered, raising a hand to brush the bangs from the child's eyes.

Triton blinked for a moment then gave Trowa a surprised look. He gave a soft sound, not a whimper and yet not a groan . . . just a soft noise from within his throat.

Trowa could guess at what Triton was thinking. The child must have been surprised that Trowa hadn't harmed him even though he'd had the perfect opportunity to do so. "I wouldn't hurt you." Trowa said, hoping to keep the boy calm. "You feel up to some breakfast? I believe that Catherine is cooking."

Triton nodded, uncurling his arms from around Trowa's arm. He raised his hand, yawning as he rubbed a small fist over his eye. Trowa pulled the blankets away, waiting while the child slipped out of bed. Then he climbed out, handing Triton his stuffed bear before leading the way out of the room.

In the kitchen, Trowa found Catherine standing in front of the stove, making breakfast. She turned, smiling brightly to both Trowa and Triton. "Take a seat. We have eggs, toast, waffles, whatever you want."

"I see you've been busy." Trowa commented, helping Triton into a chair, then taking a seat at the table as well.

Catherine shrugged. "Yeah, well I didn't sleep well. I figured you two would be up soon and I wanted to make sure you both have a good meal before you leave." She walked over, scooping a portion of scrambled eggs onto each of the three plates on the table. For a moment she returned to the stove, then came back to the table with a plate that had a large stack of waffles on it. She set it down in the center of the table then got drinks for them, coffee for herself and Trowa, a glass of milk for Triton. "If I had orange juice, he'd be drinking that." Catherine smirked. "But milk is good, too."

Trowa drank his coffee, picking at his eggs randomly. He didn't really feel like eating right now, wasn't all that hungry actually. Across from him, Catherine ate her food, a pleasant smile remaining on her face throughout the meal. Triton ate slowly, not really consuming all that much before he timidly pushed the plate away from himself.

Catherine noticed that Triton had stopped eating. "Don't you like waffles?" Catherine asked, her own fork held in the air. "If you want, I'll make something else for you."

Triton shook his head, looking down at the plate. He bit his bottom lip, looking a bit unsure of himself as he picked up the fork.

"Go ahead. You can eat more if you want to. But you don't have to stuff yourself just because I want you to. If you're full, you're full and can't do anything to change that. I don't want you getting sick from eating too much." Catherine smiled.

Triton smiled at her momentarily, then ate a bit more. Trowa sat back in his seat, deciding that he had finished his own breakfast, even if he hadn't eaten all that much. He just wasn't hungry really. He pushed his chair away from the table. "I'm going to go take a shower." He said, rising from his seat.

The moment Trowa got up, Triton made a move to get out of his seat and follow him. Catherine laid her hand on his shoulder, gently keeping him in his seat. "Go on, I'll take care of Triton. When he's finished eating, I'll help him pick something out to wear today and get him dressed." She looked at Triton. "That okay with you?"

Triton looked as if he was considering it for a moment, but eventually he did nod in assent. He turned to look up at Trowa and gave a tentative smile, silently saying that he was okay with the decision.

Trowa nodded and left the kitchen, stopping briefly to get himself a change of clothes before heading into the bathroom. He was glad about Triton's decision. That Triton had willingly let Trowa out of his sight was a good thing, and yet another tiny step in the right direction for the child. Perhaps Triton had a chance to grow up happy, whereas Trowa no longer had such an option.

* * *

Catherine watched as Triton ate a little more of his breakfast. When the child pushed his plate away this time, Catherine smiled. "Full?"

Triton nodded and gave her a grateful look.

"You're welcome." She smiled in understanding. She rose from her seat and held her hand out for Triton to take. "Now . . . how about I take you over to choose what you want to wear today?"

Triton nodded again, slipping from his seat and taking the hand she offered to him. His one arm remained fixed around that black bear as Catherine escorted him over to the luggage containing his clothes.

"Go ahead, pick what you want to wear." Catherine smiled, leaving the choice up to Triton. It would probably do the child good to make his own decisions. She grinned when he pulled out a simple pair of jeans and a dark blue, long-sleeved shirt. "Wonderful choice." She commented, taking the garments from him and riffling around for a pair of socks for the boy to wear. "I bet you look wonderful in blue."

Triton blushed slightly, ducking his head out of embarrassment. Compliments were probably foreign to him. Catherine would have to make it a point to give the child more of them. He certainly deserved it . . . such a cute kid.

Catherine led Triton into her bedroom, deciding to let him change in there while Trowa showered. She left the door open though, not wanting him to get scared. Being alone in a room was probably pushing the tentative trust that Triton had in her at the moment. She didn't want to do anything that would make him nervous.

"Now, take off your pajamas and I'll help you get dressed." She said, immediately regretting her choice of words as the child backed away a little. "I'm sorry . . . I didn't mean to make it sound that way. I won't hurt you, I promise." She said, hoping it wasn't too late to calm the distress she had inadvertently caused. "Trowa would never forgive me if any harm came to you." She smiled as the fear in his eyes receded slowly. "I didn't mean all of your clothes. You can keep your underwear on." Catherine moved so that Triton had a clear path to the door. "I'll even stay right here and hand clothes over to you. Okay?"

Triton nodded warily and turned to face the door. He looked as if he would bolt at any opportunity.

Catherine smiled and looked around the room in an effort not to make the child nervous by staring at him openly. She watched out of the corner of her eye as the child got out of his pajamas. Slowly, she bent to pick them up from the floor, making herself seem smaller and less threatening at the same time. "There . . . that isn't so bad, it is? You want to know what the good news is?"

Triton was trembling, his arms wound around his body in an attempt to hide his state of undress, but he did nod.

"The good news is that you get to get dressed now." She smiled. Keeping her movements slow, Catherine held the jeans out for Triton. "Okay, this is going to be a little awkward. I promise not to harm you though. Okay?"

Triton nodded again, and relaxed a little as he hesitantly placed his small hands on Catherine's shoulders to steady himself.

Catherine watched as he lifted one leg to put his pants on. She blinked at a mark on the boy's right hip, her mind going over the odd coincidence. She waited until the jeans were fully on the child before broaching the subject. "Triton? Did you know you have a little mark on your hip, Sweetie?"

Triton nodded, but looked puzzled.

Catherine knew that she had to ask questions that could be answered without words. The boy just didn't talk . . . she did hope he would eventually. "Have you always had that mark?"

Triton nodded and tilted his head. He apparently didn't see the reason behind Catherine's questions.

Catherine took a breath. "Can I see it? You don't have to get undressed . . . just push the material down a little. Then you can pull it back up."

The child's eyes darted to the bedroom door and he looked as if he were about to make a run for it.

"Triton . . . please? I promise I won't even touch you. It's only on your hip, so I won't see anything." She held up her hands and backed away from him a little. "I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important to me."

The fear in Triton's eyes turned back into confusion. Still, Triton turned a little and pushed his jeans down on one side, just enough so that Catherine could see the mark. Catherine held her breath, holding back the tears that mingled in her eyes. There it was . . . a wine-colored mark on his hip, roughly shaped like a trident. This was just too much of a coincidence . . . it couldn't be happening.

"Thank you." She smiled as Triton pulled his pants up again, handing the shirt to the boy when he wordlessly asked for it.

Internally, Catherine was going over the facts before her, her eyes winding their way over Triton's young body, taking in his features and comparing them to the faded memories and old photos that she had of her own little brother. He did look like the real Triton . . . this could be what Catherine's brother would have looked like given time to age. Those eyes, so much like Mother's, the same shade of hair as Father . . . and the birthmark. The mark was how he had gotten his name. Catherine remembered her mother telling stories of the son of Poseidon, the myths about the power the deity had over waves, and that her little brother Triton had gotten his name for having that trident on his hip. Could it just be some strange coincidence?

Maybe it was a mistake on the part of the scientists that had created the clone. Perhaps they had added it in some way to make sure that they knew which was the clone and which was real or something. Trowa might not even have the birthmark.

Biting her lip, Catherine thought over the idea of asking to see if Trowa had such a mark. It would be weird to ask something like that of him, maybe she should keep her mouth shut. But if he really was her baby brother . . . the hope of finally having her younger sibling back was too much for Catherine to ignore. She had to talk with Trowa. First though, she would see to little Triton and make sure he was dressed and ready to go.

"I was right . . . you do look wonderful in blue." Catherine smiled, just as soon as Triton had gotten the shirt on. He blushed in response, shyly averting his gaze as he smoothed his hands down along the garment he wore. "You know what we forgot?" Catherine asked. Noting Triton's confused gaze she answered her own question. "Shoes. We forgot your sneakers. Do you know where they are?"

Triton nodded.

"Good." She said. "Why don't you find your shoes and meet me in the living room? You can watch something on TV until it's time for you to go."

A smile flickered over Triton's features. He grabbed his bear then walked out of the room to get his shoes. Catherine shook her head, chuckling . . . the boy was just too adorable for words to describe.

She headed out to the living room, grabbing the remote for her TV from a table as she strolled over to a chair and plopped down into it. She tiredly rubbed her eyes with one hand as she turned the TV on. She hadn't slept all that well. Even last night she had thoughts that perhaps Trowa might really be her brother. Triton's resemblance to the long lost sibling had been eerie yesterday, the addition of the birthmark made it more so.

Idly, she flipped through the channels, settling on some children s program. She had no idea what it was called, but it looked to be educational and that was good. Besides, it wasn't as if the kid would be watching it for very long . . . it was just to pass the time until he and Trowa left for one of Quatre's estates.

It wasn't long before Triton brought his shoes over to where Catherine was sitting. Catherine grinned, rising from her seat. She picked Triton up and set him down in the seat, dropping to a kneeling position at the boy's feet. She put his socks on, then slipped on his sneakers, tying them for him. When she stood, she ruffled his hair a little. "I won't be long. You just stay here and watch tv for a bit."

Triton nodded, then turned his attention to the screen. Catherine turned and headed for the bedroom, deciding to wait for Trowa in there. She knocked on the door first though, deciding that she would rather not just walk in on him if he was undressed. "Trowa? Can I come in?"

"Sure." Trowa replied, although his voice was muffled by the presence of the closed door between them.

Catherine pushed the door open, stepping into the room. Trowa was standing by a dresser, where some of his clothes were packed away. He hadn't packed all of his own clothes into the luggage last night, only Triton's and a few of his own garments. At the moment, Trowa was clad only in a towel that was wrapped around his waist, his hair disheveled, clinging to the sides of his face and dripping with water, his well-toned body glistening ever so slightly with the moisture still collected on his skin.

"Um, Trowa . . . can I ask you something?" Catherine asked, her heart pounding in her chest from nervousness.

Trowa turned to face her, his gaze quickly filling with concern. "What is it? Is something wrong? Is it Triton?" He asked in a rush, his hands clutching the garments he had chosen to wear that day.

"No, he's fine." Catherine replied, holding up her hands. "There's nothing wrong. It's just, I have some personal questions to ask you . . . I hope you don't mind."

Trowa paled slightly. "Personal? Just how personal?" He set his clothes down on top of the dresser, folding his arms over his chest probably out of nervousness.

"Well . . . I . . ." She frowned, trying to figure out a way to say what she wanted to say. Maybe she should have taken a few moments to collect her thoughts before she had come in here. It was too late now, she just had to think of something. "I saw a mark on Triton's hip and well . . . do you have the same birthmark?"

Trowa nodded. "Yes, I do have a birthmark." He turned and pulled the edge of his towel down slightly, revealing a birthmark identical to the one that Triton had, a wine-colored trident that was high on his hip. He then covered himself again, adjusting the towel so that it wouldn't fall off. "Why did you want to know that?"

Catherine gave a tentative smile, hoping that she wouldn't scare Trowa or make him uncomfortable. "Trowa, you remember me telling you about my little brother, Triton, right?"

"Of course. You said that he died when you were young, along with your parents." Trowa responded, crossing his arms over his chest once again.

"Yes, well that's almost right. His body was never found. I gave up hope of ever finding him, but I was never truly sure he was dead. He was so young when he was lost. He could have been found and raised by someone." Catherine saw the confused look on Trowa's face, knowing that she was rambling. She took a breath, collecting her courage as well as her thoughts. "My brother . . . he had a birthmark on his hip . . . a trident . . . just like yours."

Trowa's brow furrowed. "Are you suggesting that you think I'm your brother because of a birthmark?"

Catherine held up her hands. "Just hear me out." She sighed. "Your clone looks so much like my baby brother . . . the resemblance is uncanny . . . and the birthmark. You can see how I could come to such a conclusion, can't you?"

Trowa nodded. "Yes, the coincidences are quite strong in favor of me being your long lost brother." He sighed deeply. "But still . . . I've lived all my life without a family. I won't let myself fall victim to false hopes. I need more proof than a birthmark and a resemblance."

"How about a blood test? We could take one and the results would tell us if we re related or not." Catherine frowned, noting a look of hurt in Trowa's eyes. "Trowa . . . I want you to know, it doesn't matter to me if you're related to me by blood or not. You're my brother in my heart and nothing will ever make me feel differently about you." She set a hand on Trowa's face, idly brushing the skin with her thumb. "I'll understand if you don't want to take the blood test. I know you don't want to endanger our relationship in any way, and that you don't want to hurt me if we aren't really related. So I won't ask again. If you say no, then we won't do it. You're my only family and I won't push you away with my hopes."

Trowa raised his hand, setting it over the one Catherine had set on his face. He smiled, taking her hand and pulling it away from his face, squeezing it gently. He looked down, and took a breath, raising his gaze to look in her eyes. "How could I possibly say no to that? Of course I'll have the blood test done." He took a tentative step closer to her. "Are you sure you won't feel any differently toward me if I'm not your brother?"

"You are my brother, Trowa . . . even if only by love alone." She gently wrapped her arms around Trowa, pulling him into a tender hug. Trowa hesitantly returned the embrace, his breath hitching slightly. Catherine didn't linger too long, knowing that such contact would only leave him uncomfortable after awhile. She smiled at him again, raising a hand to his shoulder and squeezing it reassuringly. "Why don't you get dressed now . . . I'll go keep the munchkin company."

Trowa nodded. "Okay. I'll be out soon. When we get to the estate, I'll give Sally a call and arrange the blood test." He said. Catherine turned and walked over to the door, pausing there when she heard his next softly spoken words. "Perhaps you'd like to visit us at Quatre's place sometime . . . after we get settled? Triton might like it."

Catherine smiled. "I'd be thrilled to visit. I'd love to meet the other kids. Quatre's clone is probably quite adorable." She gave him a wink then turned and left, closing the door behind her before heading over to Triton and taking a seat in a chair next to him, keeping him company while Trowa got ready. She glanced at the child, knowing that if the blood test did prove Trowa to be her long missing brother, she'd end up with two younger siblings . . . Triton was a welcome addition.

* * *

To Be Continued . . .


	17. Part Seventeen

Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.

Notes: Wufei has an emotional talk with Tian Bao. Raberba discovers the music room. And Trowa arrives and finds himself needed for a number of problems.

* * *

Young Hearts

Part Seventeen

* * *

Wufei ran a damp cloth over the counter top, cleaning the mess that Quatre had made with his attempts at cooking. Breakfast had ended several minutes ago . . . it had been pleasant. Quatre was now in the shower, cleaning the pancake batter from his hair. Heero was checking on Duo's welfare. And the majority of the children were around playing, although it had been made clear that none of them were to go anywhere near the pool. Tian Bao was the only one of the children that hadn't left the kitchen.

Over breakfast, the three adults had spoken of what they would do today. Quatre had suggested going out and buying furniture for the home they would be spending time in from now on. They did need to purchase furniture for the children's rooms and their own, especially since the beds they were currently using did belong to the Maguanac and it was only a matter of time before the group of men wanted them returned to them. Along with suitable beds, they would need dressers and such, furniture for the other rooms as well. The house was almost virtually empty, save for a few necessities. Quatre explained that no one had resided here for a long time before the Maguanac had opted to live here, so it was only natural for it to be bare of furniture and decorations.

Then there was the fact that they would need food for their stay here. So a trip to the grocery store was in order for today. They weren't going to go shopping immediately, since they still had to await the arrival of Trowa and his clone. However, as soon as Trowa arrived, they would all go out and see to the errands.

Wufei sighed as he finished his task, tossing the used cloth into the sink. He walked over to the table and dropped down into a chair, wiping the back of his hand over his brow as he closed his eyes and exhaled a long deep breath. It had not been easy cleaning all of the counters, the walls and the stove as well . . . not to mention the ceiling. Quatre had sure done quite a number on the kitchen with his failed cooking attempt.

"Why are you here?" Tian Bao asked.

Wufei opened his eyes, looking over to where the child was sitting, just across the table from him. "Someone had to clean the kitchen." Wufei replied simply.

Tian Bao shook his head. "That is not what I meant. Why are you on Earth? Why are you not home on L-5 with Meiran and the elders? There is much to do at home, and you are away from the clan. Why?"

Wufei took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. He had dreaded this moment, trying to figure out the best way to inform the child of the dire truth. He rose from his seat, deciding to take this conversation elsewhere. "Come, we will talk someplace where we are unlikely to be disturbed."

Tian Bao nodded and followed. Wufei left the kitchen, heading down a hallway until he found the library. This would be a suitable place to speak with the child. He had always felt more at ease around books, so it should help both the clone and himself get through this awkward moment. Although there weren't all that many books here, just what belonged to the Maguanac most likely.

There were no chairs in the room, so he sat on the floor and motioned for Tian Bao to sit facing him. The child did as instructed, sitting on the floor just in front of Wufei, folding his legs to sit in the same manner as Wufei. "You know of the war, correct?" Wufei asked.

Tian Bao nodded. "The war is over. That is what I know. Otherwise, I would not have asked you why you are still on Earth."

That was a satisfactory response, so Wufei chose to continue. "Well . . . first off . . . Meiran was killed in a battle shortly after we were married."

"Yes, that is how she would have wanted to die." Tian Bao nodded.

"She was Nataku . . . in death, if not in life." Wufei said, waiting until the boy nodded before continuing. He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly, fearing the clone's reaction to the following information. "The colony . . . is no more. The elders decided, rather than submit to the organization known as OZ, that they would cause the colony to self destruct. Every man, woman, and child are with the spirits of the ancestors now." As he had spoken it, the flashes of memory returned, reminding him of the explosion that he had witnessed that fateful day. "Later, I will take you to where I built a shrine for them, so you can pay your respects."

"Gone? All of them?" Tian Bao asked meekly, a look of thinly veiled horror and grief lingering in his eyes. He was fighting to keep a calm facade, Wufei could see that.

Wufei nodded. "I was the last member of the clan . . . and now, there are two of us." Unshed tears glistened in the child's eyes, his body trembling slightly as he apparently fought off the urge to weep. "Do not be saddened. They remain with us in spirit, and I would choose to live here even if the colony was still there. Those that live with us, here in this house, are more a family to me than my own blood was, and I am honored to call them friends. It would honor me more if I could call them brothers, but I will not overstep the bounds of our friendship by doing so."

Tian Bao was dry-eyed, if a little pale. His small body shivered with the effort not to cry. Still, Wufei wasn't sorry over his choice of words. If it were him in Tian Bao's place, he would have wanted to hear the truth, as harsh as it was. There was no advantage to mincing words to make things sound better.

Without uttering a word, Wufei reached out, pulling the child into an awkward embrace. He didn't recall ever having hugged another person in his life. It seemed now was the perfect opportunity to do so. The child was having a difficult time with his emotions at the moment. Training dictated that he set aside his feelings and stay strong . . . a tactic the child was failing miserably at. "It is all right to cry, Tian Bao. I did when I watched the destruction of our home. It took me a while to come to terms with my grief. I admit that I did not handle it all that well to begin with.

Tian Bao wordlessly choked back a sob, tightly throwing his arms around Wufei's body and clinging to him. Wetness seeped through Wufei's garments, alerting him to the fact that the child was in fact finally letting his tears fall forth. His small fingers dug sharply into Wufei's skin, sobs wracking the child's body.

Wufei patiently held his clone, not sure of what else to do. Tian Bao's world had just been shattered. Everyone he had ever known was revealed to be dead. He and Wufei were the last now, and the burden of carrying on their family line fell on both their shoulders.

A smirk slowly made its way across Wufei's face. "You see now why I thought to call you Tian Bao? You truly are a treasure from heaven . . . a gift given to me by the ancestors watching over us."

Tian Bao sniffled, pulling away from Wufei's body if only a little. He looked up, meeting Wufei's gaze. Tears mingled in his dark eyes, falling along his cheeks in rivulets. A brief flicker of a shy smile lit up his face. "I . . . I would be honored to be called your brother."

"I think I would like that." Wufei replied, wrapping his arms around the child once more and holding him tenderly. It was apparent that the boy did need the reassurance of such an embrace, so Wufei would comply in the hopes of soothing his spirit. He stayed on the floor, holding his little brother, satisfied to stay there as long as was necessary.

* * *

Raberba wandered the halls of the large house, just for the sake of exploring his new home. He wiped a hand across his eyes, sniffling sadly. Considering the news he had received last night from Quatre . . . telling him of his . . . no, of their father's death, it was only natural for Raberba to still be depressed about it. He loved his father, despite the arguments and the bad moments, he did still love him. But now he was gone, his father was dead . . . Raberba would never see him again, and that left him terribly saddened. He wondered about his sisters. Were they still alive, or was Quatre waiting for the shock of Father's death to fade before breaking even more bad news to him? Raberba hoped it was the former.

Forcing back his tears, Raberba grabbed the handle of a door and pushed it open. He blinked, not finding the room oddly vacant like most of the others. In this one there were a few large objects arranged on the floor. Raberba couldn't tell what they were, since white cloths were draped over everything in sight. Still, his curiosity was piqued and he just had to enter.

He walked over to one of the cloth-covered objects. Twisting a small fist in the dusty cloth, he took a few steps backwards, uncovering what lay hidden beneath. The corners of his mouth curled into a delighted smile, looking at the object he had uncovered. It was a beautiful piano, its smooth, black surface clean without a trace of dust anywhere on it.

Raberba ran his fingers over the side of the piano, just for the enjoyment of touching it. He had always liked music. It was one of the few things that had made his father proud of him. His ability with musical instruments was one of the only things he liked about himself as well. A sudden thought struck him and Raberba looked around the room again. Seconds later, he ran over to a tall covered object, pulling the cloth off of it quickly and nearly smiling again as he found what he had been looking for. It was a cabinet, nothing more nothing less, but inside of it was what Raberba wanted.

He opened the glass door, already seeing what he wanted within. He stretched his body, reaching up, only to frown when he couldn't quite reach the instrument that had caught his attention. Looking around the room for anything that might help, Raberba's eyes settled on the bench from the piano. He ran over, pulling the wooden bench over to the cabinet. Then he climbed up, and easily took the violin and bow from where they hung.

Not wanting to get into any trouble, Raberba pushed the bench back to where he had gotten it, then turned his attention back to the violin. The delicate instrument was immaculately clean, although Raberba didn't understand how it could possibly be so well taken care of since the room apparently was unused for quite a while. Perhaps that huge man that had been here yesterday had cleaned it. Raberba shrugged, not really caring how or why it was in such good condition, he was just glad that the violin was here.

He tucked it up under his chin, drawing the bow across the strings and played a number of notes. He smirked, finding that the instrument was perfectly tuned. Raberba sighed, wishing that his father were here to listen . . . it had often been a pastime for the two of them. After a hard day of work, Father enjoyed listening to his playing. Even if he knew the memories were not his own but those of his elder self, he did look back on them fondly.

This time when he drew the bow across the strings, it wasn't just for a test to see if it was tuned properly. No, this time he played a melody, a somber string of lyrical notes that echoed the sadness clutching at his soul. He simply wanted his father back.

* * *

Quatre sighed, delighting in the feeling of being clean again. He vigorously ran a towel over his hair, drying it, a similar towel draped about his waist. Satisfied that his hair wouldn't drip anymore, he tossed the towel aside, hastily getting dressed. He didn't want to be away from his friends or the children for any longer than was necessary . . . the loneliness would overwhelm him if he let it, and he didn't want to let it take him over again, not like it had just yesterday in the store. That had been quite embarrassing, losing it like that, and the children seeing it . . . that made it so much worse, made him feel so awful for being as weak as he was.

He shook off the feelings of fear that were already mingling in his mind, not wanting to be overcome with terror again. No, it wouldn't do to let his fear consume him, or to run to his friends because of a terror he couldn't control. Still, his mind echoed with memories that clawed to come to the surface, despite his efforts to keep them back. Pain and loneliness swept through him and he moved about his room quickly, in a hurry to get dressed and back to where he wouldn't be alone anymore.

A sudden thought struck him and he stepped over to a desk, then dropped the remainder of his garments on one corner. Taking a moment to button the front of his pants, Quatre dialed a phone number. He did have to make this call, plus it would serve to keep Quatre calm enough to get dressed. Usually he had no problem being alone for such a short period of time, but today was different for some reason. Whether it was because of the confession he had made to Raberba or something else, Quatre wasn't altogether sure, but he just needed the reassurance that a friendly face could provide.

Quatre picked up his shirt and pulled it on. His fingers were shaking as he fastened the buttons, so he only had a couple of them done by the time his call was picked up. Rasid's face appeared on the vid-phone, nodding a pleasant greeting to him. "Good morning, Master Quatre . . . is there something you need of me or my men?"

Quatre smiled brightly, the fear washing away almost immediately. "Yes, Rasid. If you are not busy today, would you consider helping us transport furniture to the estate? The guys and I are going shopping today for needed items."

"Of course, Master Quatre. We would be more than willing to assist you." Rasid replied without hesitation.

Quatre was grateful to the older man. He finished with his shirt, taking a seat in a chair near the desk as he pulled on his socks and shoes. "Thank you, Rasid. After we buy the furniture, we plan on grocery shopping, so perhaps you could drop off the furniture while we're out . . . although be aware that Duo might be here when you arrive. He's taken a chill and would benefit from some rest today. While you're here, you can collect the rest of your belongings if you wish, or leave them be . . . it is nice to have reminders of your presence."

"That is gracious of you, Master Quatre. We will try to be quiet when delivering the furniture to the estate. Is there anything else you require?"

"No, I think that;s all. If there's anything more, I can tell you when you arrive." Quatre replied, standing and tucking in his shirt. He put on his vest, making sure that his appearance was neat with a casual glance to a mirror that hung over the desk. "We are still awaiting Trowa's arrival, and we won't be leaving until he gets here, so I think there is plenty of time for you to get here as well."

"Very well. We will see you soon, Master Quatre." Rasid nodded. "Good day." He terminated the connection.

Quatre nodded to himself, satisfied that he was dressed and ready to leave the room again. He was calm and he was dressed . . . the phone call with Rasid had served both of its purposes. With a smile firmly planted on his face, Quatre opened the door and stepped out of the room and into the vacant hallway.

A faint sound reached his ears and Quatre glanced around, wondering where it was coming from and why it seemed so familiar. It didn't take Quatre long to realize what the sound was. And once he did, he knew exactly where it was coming from. He'd recognize the sound of a violin anywhere.

As he approached the music room he took note that the melody was quite somber, the tune that was playing was filled with deep despair. Quatre's heart ached, his senses picking up on the intense sadness from within the room. Quatre opened the door, not surprised by the condition of the room or the instruments within. He knew that Rasid and his men took care of all the musical instruments, just in case Quatre should happen to visit and play for them. It was something that Quatre enjoyed doing, entertaining those he cared for with an improvised concert, whether violin or some other instrument, it didn't matter . . . all of them were kept in perfect condition and regularly tended to.

Quatre frowned, his eyes settling on the small figure of Raberba. The child was lost in the music that he played, his eyes closed, his body swaying back and forth slightly with the gentle sad melody that seemed to flow straight out of his heart and soul.

Quatre knew what was causing this . . . the news of Father Winner's death. The child was grieving, a natural response to hearing of a death to someone so close to him. Even if the child was merely a clone, he did have Quatre's memories and to Raberba, Quatre's father was his father as well. That was one of the reasons why Quatre had suggested being brothers instead of father and son. Raberba already had a father to love, the child didn't need Quatre to take the place of the man they both had loved and respected.

Without announcing his presence, Quatre strode over to the piano, taking a seat on the bench. He said nothing, not wanting to disturb the boy in the midst of such a soulful performance. Instead, he flipped open the cover and applied his fingers to the ivory keys, his foot making use of the pedals beneath the large instrument when it was necessary. Quatre knew the melody that Raberba was playing, knew it quite well in fact, so it was easy for Quatre to join in and accompany the music that Raberba was skillfully playing. It was a silent offer of comfort, a way to tell the child that he was there for him. He just hoped that the child's grief wouldn't consume him totally . . . not like Quatre's had.

* * *

Trowa sighed as he took the keys from the ignition. The thought that he might actually have a family was weighing heavily on his mind. It was an impossible dream, something he had never thought possible for him to attain. Still, he wouldn't get his hopes up. There was a good chance that it merely was coincidence and nothing more. Catherine might be mistaken about this. Her brother had disappeared well over a decade ago.

A gentle tug to his sleeve brought Trowa back to the present. He turned, looking curiously at Triton and watching the boy's eyes fill with confusion. Triton softly grunted, then turned and pointed out the window at Quatre's estate, before looking back at Trowa with a curious expression on his young face.

Trowa understood well enough to answer the unspoken question. "Yes, this is where we'll be living." Trowa said. "Quatre owns this place, and many others like it around the world, even a few on the colonies."

Triton's jaw dropped in amazement, his eyes wide as if not believing. Quietly, he drew his legs up closer to him, wrapping his arms around his bear as he looked back to the large house. He was probably afraid, if not of being hurt then of doing something inside the house that would warrant a punishment. A place like Quatre's undoubtedly had breakables in it, and Triton most likely dreaded breaking one . . . it was an understandable fear.

"Come, let s go inside." Trowa urged, unbuckling his seat belt. He waited as Triton did the same, then opened his door and got out. The boy scooted over on the seat, exiting the truck on the same side as Trowa, as if afraid to leave his side for even an instant.

Trowa reached into the back of the truck, grabbing the pieces of luggage that he and the boy had, then walked over to the house, his clone hastily trailing behind him. He could hear the sounds of laughter, probably from the other clones playing around the house.

At the steps, Trowa stopped, his eyes drawn to a figure sitting there. It was Une's clone and she looked quite unhappy. Trowa wondered why. She was holding a delicate-looking doll in her arms, a frown set on her young face as she looked down on its porcelain features.

"Is something wrong?" Trowa asked, setting his bags down and taking a seat beside the young girl. Triton remained hidden behind Trowa, his arms both winding around one of Trowa's, as well as still holding his bear.

"It's nothing important." The girl whispered, her eyes remaining fixed on her doll.

Trowa didn't believe that at all, the girl was just trying to make it sound less important for some reason. "I'm sure there's something wrong. You don't look happy. Perhaps I can help." Trowa offered. He lifted a hand, gently pulling back the curtain of brown hair and tucking it behind her ear. "I am told that I listen quite well."

Une's clone looked up at him, as if studying him to see if he was lying or not. After a moment of silence, she finally spoke, her words barely more than a whisper. "All those other clones . . . they got names or someone told them what they'd be known as from now on." Her frown deepened. "No one thought to give me one." She looked down at her doll again. "I don't want to be like that lady . . . she's not a nice person."

Trowa nodded. "Well, things aren't exactly easy for Lady Une. She is the head of the Preventer organization . . . is raising a child that isn't even her own . . . and has to deal with Duo all day long. That would upset anyone to the point of snapping unnecessarily once and a while."

Une's clone giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. "Mr. Duo isn't that bad. He's fun. He bought me this doll."

Trowa smirked a little. "Actually, Lady Une purchased it. She did give us all access to her credit and that's where the money came from to pay for all the stuff that Duo and the rest of us bought."

"I still don't want to be like her. I want my own name. I don't want to be called Une like everyone calls her. That's my last name, not the one I want to use every day." Une's clone said indignantly, nodding her head decisively.

"A name of your own, hm?" Trowa asked, more to himself than anything. He thought for a moment, then remembered something. "How about we call you, Midii? I knew a girl named Midii once when I was younger. For a time she was my friend, the only friend I knew as a child."

Une's clone blushed slightly. "I think that it's a nice name. Do you really want to call me by it?" She looked up at Trowa hopefully.

Trowa smiled. "I wouldn't have suggested it if I didn't want to. I think the name would suit you well."

"I like it. Thank you, Mr. Trowa." She said, then kissed him on the cheek before getting up and running around the house to where the other children were playing.

Trowa grinned and shook his head, rising to his feet. He picked up the bags again, then walked into the house, Triton still right on his heels as he walked. Trowa looked around at their new home. He closed the door behind Triton and himself, nearly tripping before he set the bags down, the far-off sound of a violin drifting to his ears and distracting him briefly.

Instinctively, he follwed the music, Triton's hand slipping to clasp his palm as they headed deeper into the estate. Not too long after the violin started, Trowa was surprised to hear as a piano began accompanying it. The depressing tune made Trowa feel concerned about the musicians, hoping that they were not as sad as their song sounded.

It wasn't long before he found the music room. The door was already opened, so the both of them just stepped inside. They stopped before getting too close, not wanting to disturb either Quatre or his clone as they played their tune, both of them seemingly lost in the music. It wasn't the first time that Trowa had seen Quatre in such a state . . . and still the vision of the beautiful blonde playing so masterfully tugged at his heartstrings, making him wish for the Arabian to handle him so lovingly as he did those musical instruments.

Trowa sighed, knowing that the longing wish was no more likely to happen than it was for the clouds to rain elephants . . . it just wasn't going to happen. Triton tugged on Trowa's hand, gaining the tall ex-pilot's attention. Trowa looked down, only to watch as Triton frowned, grunting a bit as he pointed toward Quatre's clone. Trowa turned his gaze to the child Triton was gesturing to, growing concerned as he watched tears trail down the pale boy's cheeks. It was obvious that the tune played by both blondes came from their hearts . . . and for some reason the both of them were depressed or mourning something. Trowa couldn't help but wonder what was troubling the both of them.

After several long minutes that trailed on for seemingly hours, both Quatre and the child stopped playing. Quatre wiped a hand across his eyes, the child's reaction almost identical as well as in sync with Quatre's movement. Without a word, the blonde child set the violin atop the piano and turned to Quatre, crawling up to sit on his lap, his little body shivering as he clutched tightly to his older self, weeping against Quatre's shoulder.

To see Quatre and his younger self so depressed made Trowa's heart twinge in sympathy. He ached to take Quatre in his arms and comfort him, to make him feel better somehow. But his own fears held him from doing just that . . . his own aversion to physical contact keeping him from attempting to show such kindness to even someone he wished to be more than just friends with.

"Quatre . . ." Trowa spoke up, taking a step further into the room, Triton following quickly behind him. "You both play beautifully. But such a sad melody."

Quatre turned, offering a false smile. "Trowa, you're here." He said, stating the obvious, a faint blush touching his cheeks. "Thank you for the generous compliment." His hands stroked along his clone's back, soothing the child with gentle touches. He spared a short glance down at the child he held, then looked up at Trowa, who by now was standing no more than a few feet away at most. "I told Raberba about my father . . . our father. He's grieving." He said, although Trowa hadn't asked.

Trowa merely nodded, not knowing what to say. Instead of using words, Trowa decided to just offer comfort silently. He set his hand on Quatre's shoulder, squeezing briefly before letting go and taking a step back. "If you need anything . . ." He said, leaving the statement open to interpretation. He would do anything to help Quatre if the blonde needed him.

"Thank you for the offer, Trowa." Quatre replied, a tear trailing from one eye quickly to fall from his chin and onto Raberba. He shook his head, closing his eyes and taking a long breath before letting it out again. "The Maguanac are on the way. When they get here, we're all going to go furniture shopping. Except for Duo . . . he's sick and shouldn't be walking around right now. Maybe one of us should stay here with him . . ."

Trowa clearly saw what Quatre was doing. Quatre had changed the subject, avoiding the pain he felt. "Quatre . . ." He said, stalling when he couldn't think of one acceptable thing to say in this situation. Throwing caution aside, Trowa took a seat beside the blonde Arabian, hesitantly wrapping his arm around Quatre's back, just barely coming into contact with his body.

Quatre reacted by leaning back against Trowa, still holding onto Raberba as he pressed himself against Trowa's body. His tears fell more steadily now, as he had given up the effort to hide his own sadness. Trowa quietly held him, saying nothing, just being there for his friend. It mattered little at this point that Quatre was touching him, nor that Raberba had also gotten closer and lashed out, gripping the front of Trowa's shirt with a small fist. Triton sat on Trowa's other side, his head on Trowa's shoulder as he held his bear. Trowa was only concerned with Quatre at this point, seeing to his and his clone's needs, his fear gone from his mind as he comforted the child as well as the young beauty who taunted his dreams at night.

* * *

To Be Continued . . .


	18. Part Eighteen

Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.

Notes: Trowa takes Quatre and Raberba back to their room. Heero looks after Duo, then checks on the welfare of the clones.

* * *

Young Hearts

Part Eighteen

* * *

Trowa helped the tired blonde and his young clone to sit on the bed. Quatre had directed Trowa to the bedroom that he and Raberba were currently using. At the moment, Raberba was sitting across Quatre's lap, the two of them looking paler than normal. Their cheeks were marked by tear tracks, Raberba clinging to his elder self out of what looked to be desperation.

After the episode in the music room, Trowa felt that it would be a good idea for Quatre and Raberba to get some rest . . . they were both obviously weary. Trowa knelt down, slipping off Quatre's shoes and untying Raberba's sneakers, setting both pairs of footwear to the side.

He glanced over, noting that his own clone was standing in the doorway, probably wary of entering unfamiliar territory. Trowa sighed, rising to his feet. He gently pushed Quatre back, arranging it so that Raberba lay curled up against him. The smaller blonde clutched tightly to Quatre, sniffling sadly as tears fell in rivers from his eyes.

"But I'm not tired, Trowa." Quatre complained with a whine, wiping a delicate hand over his own teary eyes.

Trowa flicked his eyes to Raberba, taking note of the child's condition. He shook his head, sighing deeply before speaking. "Quatre . . . crying wears you out and you know it. Besides, Raberba probably needs your company right now. The child is clinging to you as it is."

Quatre smiled sadly, running a hand through Raberba's golden hair. "Yes, you're right. But the Maguanac are on the way . . . someone has to greet them."

Trowa pulled the blankets up and over Quatre and Raberba's forms. "There are others here that can greet the Maguanac. When Rasid and his men get here, I will awaken you. But right now you do need to sleep, if only for a short time."

Quatre nodded slightly, wordlessly settling down. He continually ran his hand through Raberba's hair, silently offering comfort to the distressed child. Trowa turned, but didn't get a single step before he felt a hand clasp his wrist gently. He turned, only to be lost in shimmering aquamarine gems. "Thank you, Trowa." Quatre smiled faintly, releasing his delicate grasp.

Trowa nodded. He turned and continued on his way to the door, taking hold of Triton's hand as he reached the doorway. He turned back, smirking at the sight of Quatre cuddling close to Raberba, finding the sight to be quite adorable.

Trowa quietly closed the door on the sleeping occupants and headed down the hallway. He briefly glanced at a door as he was walking by it when he heard the muted sounds of someone coughing. Since he had already been informed of Duo's illness, although not the reason behind it, he steered clear of the door. The last thing he wanted was for his young clone to get sick.

He smiled briefly as Triton looked up at him. "No need for you to get sick, right?" He watched as the child paled a little as he nodded. Trowa sighed, kneeling before the child. "Don t worry, Triton. I won't leave you if you get ill." He said, brushing his fingers through the boy's hair. "I promise." He hated the Survival of the fittest rule that he had been forced to live by. He'd nearly been left behind a few times when he had been a child when he had been too sick to keep up with the rest of the mercenaries as they moved. He had only been kept around during that time because even when sick, he was still entertaining.

He shook off those thoughts as he rose to his feet, taking hold of Triton's hand as they headed back downstairs. Trowa picked up their bags from where he had left them earlier, near the front door. He started up the stairs again, but stopped as he noticed Wufei step out of a room, closely followed by his clone.

"It is good to see that you have arrived, Barton." Wufei greeted, bowing slightly.

Trowa nodded. "We arrived a short while ago." He said. "Quatre and Raberba are sleeping and would like us to greet the Maguanac when they arrive."

Wufei blinked, his brow furrowing slightly. "Sleeping? At this hour?"

"Yes. Believe me, both of them needed the rest." Trowa stated, not going into detail.

"They were the ones I heard playing a few minutes ago . . ." He said, although he didn't pause for a reply. "Grieving is never easy." He shook his head. "I'll await the Maguanac's arrival down here. You take your belongings upstairs and locate a room. We will decide on the room arrangements for the children and ourselves when Quatre is awake."

Trowa said nothing. He started on his way up the stairs, knowing that Triton was, as always, right behind him. However, before he could take more than two steps, Wufei called out and stopped him.

"Oh! A word of caution. Don't go near the pool. Duo is sick because his . . . son fell in and had to be rescued." Wufei said, shaking his head.

Trowa paused on the step he was currently on, turning to look at Wufei. "Son?"

"It was Chibi-Duo's idea from what I understand. The rest of us are taking the role of older brothers to our clones." Wufei replied.

Trowa nodded. "Yes . . . I am more comfortable at this time with the idea of Triton being my younger brother rather than my son. But I can understand Chibi-Duo's need for a father."

"Triton?" Wufei queried, looking confused.

"Yes . . ." Trowa gestured to his clone. "Catherine named him . . . after her long lost younger brother." He said, not telling Wufei of the part where Trowa might actually be that younger brother himself. It was best not to hope for a family . . . it wouldn't hurt so much when he was let down if he didn't let himself hope for it. "If you'll excuse me . . . these bags are quite heavy."

"Sorry to keep you." Wufei said. "I'll leave you to your task."

Trowa nodded, then turned back to the stairs, climbing them once again. Triton followed close behind as they searched out a place to put their bags for the time being. He sighed, wondering if Quatre was faring okay or not, hoping the grief wouldn't weigh too heavily on the young blonde as he consoled his clone.

* * *

Duo pouted, arms crossed over his chest as he glared at Heero. However, the intimidating effect was completely spoiled by the presence of a thermometer sticking out of his mouth. Here he sat, propped up in bed with a number of pillows behind his back, feeling completely miserable and achy. He did NOT like being sick.

Heero was sitting on the edge of the bed. Having gotten dressed while Duo had been eating his breakfast, he was now wearing a pair of jeans and a plain gray T-shirt, along with the new sneakers that he had bought for himself yesterday. "Glaring at me and at the thermometer will not make the readout come faster." Heero stated.

Duo huffed, although said nothing, knowing that Heero would just begin again if he accidentally dropped the thermometer from his mouth. He just sneered in Heero's direction, internally muttering various curses in his mind.

When the thermometer finally beeped to let them know it was done, Duo sighed in relief. He was almost happy to see it done. But when Heero shook his head, sighing at the readout, Duo knew that he had a fever. "Bad?" Duo asked.

"Quite high." Heero replied, turning off the thermometer and setting it on the side of the bedside table. He then reached over and picked up a package of cold medicine, popping a couple pills out of the foil backing.

Duo groaned, making a face at the thought of having to take those. "Do I have to?" He whined, pouting sadly.

"Look . . . take these now, and you'll probably be better by tomorrow. We can stop this before it becomes a major problem. Unless you would rather continue to worsen and then you could be stuck in bed for days."

Duo sighed, taking the pills from Heero's hand. He grabbed the glass of water from the bedside table, tossing the pills in his mouth. He downed them easily with a few swallows of water, setting the glass back down once he had taken them. Heero smirked, apparently happy that he had taken the medication. "I hate taking stuff that makes me sleepy." He grumbled.

"Yeah, I know. But the sooner you're out and about, the less time Chibi-Duo has to worry about you." Heero replied.

Duo glared. "That was a low blow, Heero!"

"No." Heero shook his head. "I was just stating a fact. That kid . . . needs you." He frowned, pausing before he asked a question. "Were you really like that as a child?"

Duo closed his eyes briefly, taking a breath. "No, I never had anyone to cling to. I was always returned to the church before I could get to that point." A thought occurred to Duo and he looked up at Heero, biting his lip nervously before finally speaking his mind. "Hey, Heero . . . would you mind checking on the kids for me and telling me how they are? I-I can't help but worry." He cast his gaze downward, feeling embarrassed.

"If you want me to do that, I will. I'll be back in a few minutes." Heero replied, rising from his seat. Duo watched him leave, smiling to himself. He was glad that Heero was being so nice about it.

* * *

Heero quietly closed the door behind himself as he left the bedroom. If Duo needed the reassurance that his clone was well, then Heero would oblige him. Duo did need to relax if he was expected to recover his health.

Heero walked through the hall, searching out the children. He heard laughter outside, and thought that perhaps they were out there. It was cold out, but Heero didn t have his coat . . . no matter, he wasn't planning on staying outside for more than just a few minutes. He walked through the kitchen to the backdoor, thinking it was more likely for them to be out there. He opened the door and stepped outside, only to smile as he was met by a pleasing scene.

Chibi-Duo was running around, giggling happily. After a moment he stopped, slapping Odin on the shoulder. "Tag! You're it!" The child announced, then took off running. Odin didn't move though . . . Heero had been unfamiliar with this game as a child, so he knew that Odin knew nothing of it. Chibi-Duo ran back, a confused expression on his young face. He tapped Odin again. "Tag!" He said, a little more impatiently. "You're it! You're it!"

The expression on Odin's face was one of confusion. "It?" He asked, his brow furrowed.

Chibi-Duo sighed. "I tag, you chase me until you tag me." Chibi-Duo said. "Haven't you ever played tag?"

"Play?" Odin asked, the concept unfamiliar to him. All he had known as a child was training and nothing more. Playing was not a part of that training.

"Okay . . . basic rules of tag." Chibi-Duo said, smirking a little. "I tap you and run like a bat outta hell. YOU have to chase me until you tag me, or someone else. Let's see if we can get the others to play. The more the merrier. Got it?"

Odin nodded, comprehension visible in his face. Heero saw that the boy knew what to do now.

"Good. Now, tag!" Chibi-Duo said, an instant before he slapped Odin's shoulder and took off running. This time Odin did chase him, that is until he saw Lena standing nearby, kicking at the ground in a bored manner. He tagged the young girl, who immediately chased after him. It wasn't long before all of the clones outside were involved in the game, running around quite happily.

It was nice to see Odin participating in games such as this. It left Heero sure that Odin would adapt to his new surroundings and perhaps shed his soldier's instincts in favor of acting more like the child that he was. With a small smirk present on his face, Heero turned and walked back inside, content in the knowledge that his clone would be okay in time.

He returned to the bedroom. Duo was barely awake, nodding off as he waited for Heero. Heero sighed, helping Duo to lie down in bed. "Huh?" Duo asked, yawning as he repeatedly blinked his tired eyes. He yawned again, only to end up coughing. When he had suitably regained control, he smiled up at Heero. "The kids okay?" He asked.

"Yeah." Heero said, making sure that Duo was comfortable. "They're outside playing. And Chibi-Duo has gotten the majority of them, including Odin, to play tag."

Duo let out a laugh. "Good! That kid needs to unwind a little." He smiled, his eyes just barely open. "You ever play tag when you were a kid? You ever PLAY when you were a kid?"

Heero chose not to answer that question. Instead, he changed the subject. "Hn. Your mouth is going at a mile a minute, so your condition can't be too serious." He brought the blankets up over Duo's body, stopping just under his chin. "Get some rest. I'll check in on you later."

Duo nodded slightly, but his eyes were already closed by then. He fell asleep quickly. Heero nodded to himself, glad that the medicine had kicked in. Duo did need to rest if he was expected to recover. With a glance at Duo, Heero grabbed his winter coat and left the bedroom, knowing that he would need it later . . . it was better to take it now, than to disturb Duo's sleep later when it was time to leave, although he didn't really know when they would be leaving. He paused at the door, casting one last, worried glance back at Duo. He hoped for the American's health . . . not only for Duo's sake, but for Chibi-Duo's as well. The child needed Duo and the solace that he could provide to the young clone.

* * *

To Be Continued . . .


	19. Part Nineteen

Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.

Notes: It's nap time for the clones.

* * *

Young Hearts

Part Nineteen

* * *

Wufei was sitting on the stairs, reading from one of his favorite books. It mattered little that he had read it at least a half a dozen times in the past and probably knew the words by heart . . . he enjoyed reading it. Besides, it was a pleasant way to pass the time while he awaited the arrival of the Maguanac. Sitting beside him, was Tian Bao, reading a book of his own choosing. Wufei had asked the boy if he would rather go and play with the other children, but Tian Bao had declined, deciding to bide his time with Wufei instead.

Wufei glanced at his watch, taking note that lunchtime was approaching. Perhaps he should see to it that the children ate again. He was about to rise and go outside to see if the boys and girls were hungry, when a weight settled against his side. He frowned, looking over to see what it was, only to be surprised to see Tian Bao leaning up against him. The child's book lay forgotten on his lap, his eyes just barely open.

Carefully, Wufei took the book from the boy's hands, setting it to the side along with his own reading material. Well, it seemed as if Tian Bao was in need of rest. Nodding to himself, Wufei scooped the child into his arms.

"Where are we going, sir?" Tian Bao asked sleepily, yawning widely as he raised weary eyes to look up at Wufei. It was obvious that his grief over the destruction of his home had contributed to his tiredness.

"I believe that you need a nap." Wufei replied, rising to his feet. He held the boy close, then strode up the stairs.

"I don't want to go to sleep. Naps are for infants." Tian Bao pouted, even as he struggled to keep his eyes open.

Wufei shook his head. He opened the door to the bedroom, smirking when he found that Quatre and Raberba were resting peacefully within the room. He set Tian Bao down. "That is not true. Look." Wufei commented, pointing into the bedroom. "See, Quatre is taking a nap, and he is my age."

Tian Bao turned to look at him. "Are you going to take a nap?" He asked.

"No. someone has to await the Maguanac, and since everyone else is busy, I shall be the one to do it." Wufei answered quietly, not wanting to disturb Quatre or Raberba. "Now come on, I want you to get some sleep."

Tian Bao silently complied. He shuffled over to the bed, allowing Wufei to help him get settled in. The boy was asleep before he had even laid his head down on the pillow. Wufei pulled the covers up over the child's body, then turned and headed out of the room. He glanced back, glad to see that he had not awakened either Quatre or Raberba.

Now that he had settled Tian Bao in for his nap, Wufei headed back downstairs and went to the backdoor . . . thinking that a nap would do the other children good as well. They were going to have a full day, going around buying furniture and groceries. The children would probably get worn out relatively quickly, so it would be beneficial if they rested beforehand.

He smiled as he saw all six of the playing children in the middle of a snowball fight. Enough snow had fallen yesterday to cover the ground, which meant that there was also just enough for the children to throw around at each other. Wufei had no idea how this game had started, but Milliardo and Lena were both aiming solely for Chibi-Duo.

"All right! Time to come in!" Wufei shouted, loud enough for all of the children to hear. He heard a chorus of disappointed groans and murmurs and shook his head as the children approached. "Come on and get into some dry clothes." He said, counting them as they passed by him to make sure that they all entered the house. "You all need some rest as well."

Milliardo sighed. "Nap time, huh? Thought this place was too good to be true." He muttered.

Wufei smiled at the pouting child. "Sorry to disappoint you all." He ushered the children upstairs. "We are going to be out for most of the day, it is best that you rest now or else you will probably fall asleep before dinner. So I want you to sleep now. When you wake up, we'll have lunch."

"But I'm too old!" Milliardo exclaimed.

"Yeah! Naps are for little kids!" Treize agreed, stamping his foot and glaring at Wufei.

Lena chimed in next, crossing her arms over her chest indignantly. "If my brother don't take a nap, I ain't gonna either." She declared.

"I don't mind really." Chibi-Duo said quietly.

Odin nodded. "We should listen to him. He's our elder." Wufei was glad that at least some of the children were on his side.

"Sounds like something Tian Bao would say." Lena said, pushing Chibi-Duo. Chibi-Duo didn't push her back though, which Wufei was pleased about. He didn't want to have to break up a fight.

"We had best do as he says, though. With all the other grownups away, he's probably in charge of us." Une's clone said, hugging her doll close to herself.

"Thank you all for your opinions." Wufei said. "Now, why don't you all get to your rooms, while I have a little chat with Milliardo and Treize?" He set his hand on Lena's back, urging the child to go with the others.

Lena looked back at him, untrustingly, but she complied. However, she didn't enter her bedroom, she stood out in the hallway and waited, watching Wufei. The other children did as they had been told.

Wufei knelt down in front of Treize and Milliardo, wanting to look them in the eye when he was speaking to them. "You know that you two are the oldest . . . why don't you set a good example for the younger children?"

Milliardo flicked his gaze over to where Lena was standing, rubbing her eyes tiredly. "She does look sleepy. But I don't wanna nap."

"Neither do I." Treize said.

Wufei sighed. "Well, at the very least you can pretend . . . for the sake of the others. Lena won't take a nap unless you do, Milliardo."

Milliardo looked to be thinking the matter over, but he did finally agree. "Okay . . . but I ain't going to fall asleep. I'm not tired." He turned and trudged off to where Lena was standing, taking hold of her hand and talking with her briefly before they separated and went into their different rooms.

Treize sighed. "Fine. But I still say I'm not tired." He grumbled, following Milliardo's example and heading into the bedroom.

Wufei smiled to himself. That hadn't been too difficult. He rose to his feet and went to each bedroom, checking on the children. He checked on his own clone, wanting to be sure that no one in the room had been disturbed by the argument. All three of the occupants were still fast asleep. He cautiously approached Quatre's bedside, adjusting the blanket so that it covered Raberba better. He was worried for his friend . . . grief was a terrible thing, albeit unavoidable.

With a sigh, Wufei left the room and went on to the next one. Chibi-Duo and Odin were curled up in their own beds, although neither were wearing clothes anymore. Wufei could understand that, he had told them to undress. All they were wearing was their underwear. Odin's clothes were neatly folded, while Chibi-Duo's had just been dropped carelessly to the floor. Wufei silently approached the beds, covering the both of them with blankets to ward off a chill. Odin looked up at him briefly before closing his eyes, while Chibi-Duo snored lightly . . . already the child was fast asleep.

In the next room, he found Lena and Une's clone. They both had set their clothes neatly aside, but at least they still wore some garments on their own bodies. Wufei smirked lightly, allowing a brief inclination to take over as he swept a stray lock of hair away from Lena's face. She giggled and buried her head under her blankets. It didn't take too long for either of the girls to fall asleep.

And lastly, Wufei entered the room that Milliardo and Treize shared. He almost laughed when he saw the boys, seeing that he had definitely been right. All of these children had needed to take a nap. Clothes and coats lay strewn about the floor, the boys just lying on their beds. Treize was half-asleep, while Milliardo was valiantly fighting off his tiredness.

Wufei quietly stepped over to Treize, getting the boy to lie down, making sure he was comfortable and covered with the blankets. Treize said nothing, he just grabbed his pillow and buried his face in it. Shaking his head, Wufei turned his attention to where Milliardo was nodding off.

"Not tired." Milliardo mumbled sleepily, even as his eyes slipped closed.

"Of course you aren't." Wufei responded, gently urging Milliardo to lie down. "But why don't you just rest your eyes for a bit." He suggested, covering Milliardo's body with the blankets.

Milliardo made an unintelligible response. He lost the fight to stay awake, falling into a gentle slumber quite quickly. Now that all of the children had been taking care of, Wufei went down to the kitchen to find out what he could make for lunch later. He hoped that there was something edible down there.

* * *

Trowa sighed, watching his young clone. The boy had been staring out of the window ever since they had found this bedroom. When Trowa approached to find out what Triton found so interesting, he saw the other clones in the backyard, running around, laughing, and generally having a good deal of fun. Trowa had suggested that Triton go downstairs, if only to get a closer look, but the child shook his head, a look of fear entering his eyes quickly.

Now Triton was sitting in a corner, his arms wrapped around his legs. Trowa worried for the boy, fearing that he might not get along with the other children. Still, he wasn't about to give up hoping. Triton could get over his fears if given time, at least Trowa hoped so. Maybe some day he would actually join the children in their playing, having fun along with them instead of only watching from afar.

Trowa had left the suitcases by the door, still packed. Of course there was no place to put the clothes even if he wanted to put them away. The only things in this room were a single, twin size bed and a lamp on a small table.

He sighed as he looked at his clone, noting that the child was falling asleep. Trowa approached him, kneeling down in front of him. "Are you tired?" He asked.

Triton nodded, then promptly yawned.

"Come on, why don't you take a nap." Trowa urged, getting the boy to rise. A thought occurred to Trowa. Now would be a good time to call Sally about that blood test, or whatever it was that Sally would have to do. He had promised Catherine that he would arrange it. "You lie down and get some sleep. I have to go make a phone call."

Triton shook his head. He grabbed Trowa s arm tightly, looking up at him fearfully.

"You don't want me to leave?" Trowa asked, sighing when the child nodded in affirmation. "I understand that you are afraid, but I won't abandon you." Trowa said, trying to reassure the youth. When Triton's small body broke out into shivers, Trowa knew that he couldn't just leave him here. "All right. How about you come with me then. You can take a nap after I make my phone call."

Triton nodded. He raised his arms, looking up at Trowa thoughtfully.

"You want me to carry you, hm?" Trowa said, smiling.

He didn't need to wait for an answer though. He picked Triton up, holding him close. The boy locked his legs about Trowa's waist, laying his head on his shoulder, his one arm loosely draped around Trowa's neck while the other clutched that stuffed bear tightly to himself. Without wasting another moment, Trowa went downstairs in search of a phone.

Trowa found a vid-phone in the kitchen. He dialed the number for Sally's office. She replied after only a few rings. "Trowa? Is there something you need?" She asked, her eyes flicking over to Triton.

"I need to arrange a blood test." Trowa said, feeling a little awkward with asking this. "I recently discovered . . . there might be a chance that I have found some family and we want to be sure of a blood relationship."

Sally smiled. "That's wonderful, Trowa. I'm happy for you. I'll come over as soon as I get a chance and take a sample from you. Give me the name and address of this other person and I'll visit them as well."

Trowa bit his lip, looking to Triton for a moment. He hadn't wanted the boy to find out yet. He had wanted to wait until there was conclusive proof that they did have a sister. Still, he had to tell Sally. "It's Catherine." Trowa said, feeling as Triton shifted in his arms. He looked to the boy, nodding slightly to Triton's silent question. Triton laid his head back down on Trowa's shoulder, apparently accepting it.

"Catherine?" Sally asked, as if in shock. "You really think you might be related? Well, I'll definitely come as soon as I get a chance. I don't want you to have to wait too long for the news." Sally said, then she smiled. "I think you had better put that little one to bed. He looks like he needs a good nap."

Trowa looked down at Triton again, finding the boy half-asleep. "Understood." He said, turning to Sally's visage again. "Thank you, Sally." He switched off the phone.

Trowa strode back up to the bedroom, his clone resting in his arms. He set the child down on the bed, removing his shoes and urging him to lie down. Triton put up no fight, or struggle, allowing Trowa to tuck him into bed. The boy curled his arms around the bear he still held, moaning lightly as he snuggled deeper into the bed.

Trowa just knelt there beside the bed, running his fingers lightly through the child's hair, hoping for his sake that Catherine really was their sister. He didn't want the boy to get his hopes up only to have them crushed if it turned out that Catherine wasn t related to them.

* * *

To Be Continued . . .


	20. Part Twenty

Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.

Notes: Trowa wakes up and notices that Triton has wandered off.

* * *

Young Hearts

Part Twenty

* * *

Trowa awoke with the distinct impression that something was missing. He didn't recall when he had fallen asleep, his last memory of him being by the bed and watching his clone. He had been kneeling on the floor, his fingers brushing along the sleeping child's scalp. And so, he was still kneeling on the floor, his head having been laying on the surface of the bed. He rubbed his neck as he righted himself, stifling a yawn with the back of his other hand.

Looking to where Triton had been sleeping, he noticed that the child was no longer there. Trowa did a quick scan of the room and sighed when he didn't see the boy anywhere. He had hoped that the boy wouldn't need to do this. Trowa calmly stood and stretched, sighing as a number of his joints cracked. Had it been any of the other children, he might have worried. But this was Triton . . . and the only reason that Triton would go anywhere without Trowa was if the child wanted to find places to hide. Trowa understood the child's need, and he knew that he wouldn't scold Triton for wanting some aspect of control and safety.

Trowa headed downstairs and noted all the places that he thought Triton might be without actually checking. There was no danger to the boy, so he'd let Triton hide for now. Besides, it was time for lunch, so he meant to make something for himself as well as his clone, knowing that if he was hungry, Triton would come out.

He reached the bottom step just as someone rang the doorbell. Wufei was already en route to the door, coming from the kitchen, when Trowa felt a small hand slip into his. Trowa looked down, only to see Triton looking back, his green eyes wide with nervousness.

"It's all right, Triton." Trowa smiled kindly at the child. "I'm not angry with you. I want you to feel safe here. And if finding places to hide, even from me, makes you feel safe . . . then you can find all the hiding places you want." The answering smile that Triton gave him, warmed Trowa's heart.

Trowa looked to the door and tensed a little as Wufei started to open it. Seeing who stood just outside the door, he had a feeling that he would need to catch Triton quickly and calm the child before he went into hiding and didn't come out again.

As soon as the door was fully opened, Rasid entered the house and spoke in that deep baritone that went to the very center of a person's being. "Greetings, Mister Chang. I trust that everything is well?"

Trowa sensed as Triton stiffened beside him and waited until the last second to pick Triton up to prevent him from bolting. He remembered his own nervousness when he had first met the members of the Maguanac. Although he had not shown it outwardly, he had been quite scared. So he knew that Triton had to be completely terrified.

He held Triton securely in his arms as the boy let out little sobbing sounds, thrashing and struggling against his elder self. "Sshh . . . sshh. It's okay, Triton." Trowa said, attempting to soothe the boy with whispered words. "They won't hurt you. You're safe. It's okay." He shook his head at Rasid as the tall man took a step forward. "Don't. It wouldn't help any." He warned, rubbing Triton's back. He continued to talk softly to the child, knowing that he had to do something to ease his frightened spirit. "I know . . . I felt pretty much the same way when I first met them. It's okay."

Abdul, easily the least threatening of the Maguanac, took a few cautious steps forward. "Hey there, little guy." He said quietly.

Triton turned his head to regard Abdul with wary and frightened eyes, still pushing against Trowa's chest in an attempt to get away from him and all the strange men that stood around the room.

Abdul smiled and took off his sunglasses, keeping his movements slow. "A peace offering?" He held the shades out for Triton to take.

Trowa smiled as Triton looked around at the Maguanac in the room. He knew what the child was thinking . . . that if the Maguanac had really wanted to hurt them, they could easily have done so already. "It's okay, Triton. They won't hurt you. This is Abdul . . . that's Rasid, over there is Ahmad and Auda . . . they're friends of ours."

He watched as Triton slowly reached forward and snatched the sunglasses from Abdul. Then the child clung to Trowa, digging his small fingers into Trowa's skin as he attempted to bury himself.

Trowa sighed deeply, the child held in his arms finally giving up his futile struggles, latching to Trowa out of pure terror. "Yeah. I know. Had I been small enough the first time I met them, I would have done the same thing." He rubbed Triton's back, feeling as the trembling set in.

"Will he be okay?" Rasid asked, keeping his distance from both Trowa and Triton.

Trowa nodded, holding his trembling clone and feeling as the child wept against him. "He's just frightened. He'll be fine. Just keep your distance from him." He turned to go into the kitchen, only to stop as Heero blocked his path.

"Does this belong to him?" Heero asked, holding out a stuffed bear.

Trowa nodded. "Yes, it does." He lightly shook the child in his arms, hoping to gain his attention. "Look, Triton . . . Heero found your bear."

Triton raised his gaze, blinking at Heero with reddened, teary eyes. With a shaking hand, he reached out and timidly took the bear from Heero, then clutched it to himself as he buried his face against Trowa's chest.

Trowa sighed. "Come on . . . let's get some food into you, okay?" He smiled a little at Heero, nodding slightly. "Thanks."

Heero simply nodded in reply and headed upstairs, probably to check on Duo or the kids.

Trowa watched as Heero left, then turned and walked to the kitchen, deciding to get Triton away from the crowded entranceway. He was glad that this room was unoccupied. "Okay . . . let's see what we have here." He opened the refrigerator and sighed at the lack of food inside. There was very little to work with in there. There were some salad items and some milk and juice on the almost empty shelves, but little else. Trowa spied a couple packages of cold cuts and nodded. If he could find a loaf of bread, then he could start Triton on the very basics of cooking.

Still holding Triton in his arms, Trowa reached in and pulled out a package of sliced turkey and spoke softly. "Hey, you think you can get that jar of mayonnaise for me? It's that white stuff there on the middle shelf."

Triton pulled back away from Trowa a little and blinked at him before looking in the open fridge. After a moment, the child reached in and pulled out the jar that Trowa had requested.

"Great. Now . . . let's find a loaf of bread." He put the turkey on the counter and smiled as Triton put the jar of mayo down as well. Then he turned and started looking through the cabinets. "Come on . . . I KNOW we have some . . . ah!" He found a loaf of bread and returned to the counter. Then he set Triton down on a nearby stool and smiled as the child clung to his bear. "Now . . . do you want tomato on this?"

Triton nodded.

Trowa motioned toward the fridge. "You can go get it. If you see anything else you want in there, bring it to me." He watched as Triton climbed down, still holding his bear, and walked to the refrigerator. He waited while the child looked around. After a moment, Triton walked back to the counter. He had a tomato in one hand, his bear in the other, and a head of iceberg lettuce under an arm. Abdul's sunglasses were hanging from the neck of his shirt . . . the boy probably didn't want to lose them.

Trowa chuckled lightly as he got two plates, the cutting board, a butter knife, and a sharp knife to cut the tomato with. Then he helped Triton back onto the stool. "Okay, will you put everything on the bread?" At Triton's look, he nodded. "I like to cook. I started cooking when I was a little older than you are now. It . . . it helps to do something, doesn't it?"

Triton frowned in thought for a few moments, then nodded as a tiny smile came to his face.

Trowa handed the butter knife to Triton and stood beside the boy, supervising the child as he made two sandwiches. While Trowa watched the boy's progress, he kept himself busy, cutting a few slices of tomato. When the top piece of bread was set on the sandwiches, Trowa and Triton sat at the kitchen table. Both drinking a glass of milk, they ate their lunch in silence. Trowa was glad to see that Triton had calmed.

* * *

To Be Continued . . .


	21. Part TwentyOne

Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.

Notes: The Maguanac are brought up to date. Heero has a short talk with Duo.

* * *

Young Hearts

Part Twenty-One

* * *

Heero listened as Wufei updated the Maguanac on the situation with the kids. He informed them of the names that the children were going by, as well as quirks that they had discovered so far. The others added information when Heero needed assistance. For instance . . . the Maguanac were informed of the fact that Triton hated to be touched and would shrink from everyone except for Trowa, although if asked in a soothing and calm manner he would allow Quatre or someone else to handle him. On the other hand, Chibi-Duo loved to be picked up and would hug anyone willing to receive one.

During this conversation, Quatre came downstairs, followed closely by Raberba. Tiredly, they rubbed their eyes, their movements near-synchronized. Heero almost smiled as Rasid approached the two of them.

Heero turned to look at Wufei. "Go gather the kids and we'll talk in the kitchen while I make some soup for Duo."

Wufei nodded and silently strode upstairs, while Heero entered the kitchen. He gave Triton plenty of room so that he wouldn't seem threatening. He did, however, nod his head in greeting to assure the boy that he meant no harm.

Trowa smiled a little at Heero and nodded back, as if in thanks. Both Trowa and Triton then went back to eating their sandwiches.

Quatre was in the kitchen within a minute and he was chuckling. "I think Rasid is going to have a big impact on Raberba. I just hope that Rasid doesn't use the same technique to get him to know his self worth as he used with me."

Heero looked over his shoulder from where he was digging around in a cabinet for some soup. "What did he do?"

Quatre shook his head. "I'd rather not say . . . right here." He flicked his eyes over to Triton and Heero asked no further questions. Obviously, the topic was not best to discuss while Triton was in the room.

Heero turned back to the cupboard, but paused again as he heard the other children approaching. One voice in particular stood out from all the rest.

"I AIN'T gonna go! My Daddy might need somethin' and if Heero ain't here to look after him, who will?" Chibi-Duo s voice called out.

Heero shook his head as the clones entered the kitchen with Wufei. Chibi-Duo looked positively peeved, glaring at the back of Wufei's head intently. The child was as stubborn as his elder self was . . . it would be difficult to change his mind, if not impossible.

"Where's Rasid?" Heero asked calmly.

Wufei jerked his head toward the front door. "He had to get something. He'll be right back."

Heero nodded. He returned to his search for soup and smiled when he finally found a can of chicken noodle soup. It was the only can however. This would do good for Duo, but the children and the other adults would have to eat as well. "Is there enough bread for all of us to have sandwiches?"

"There should be." Trowa replied, after having finished off his sandwich. "There were two loaves in the cabinet, I only pulled down the one."

"Good." Heero nodded. "I'll fix this soup for Duo." He smirked, turning to Quatre. "Do you think you can handle making sandwiches . . . or will this end the same way as the pancakes? I doubt that Wufei wants to clean the kitchen again."

Quatre glared. "Very funny, Heero. It wasn't that bad . . ." He paused, then lowered his head. "Yes, it was that bad. So I can't make pancakes, big deal." He pouted, striding over to the counter and setting all the necessary ingredients so that they would be close at hand. "Okay, line up and tell me what you want." Quatre smiled, his demeanor brightening quickly.

"Do you need assistance, Master Quatre?" Rasid's booming voice asked.

"Woah!" Chibi-Duo exclaimed.

Heero turned, watching as the child looked up at Rasid. He nearly laughed out loud as the child's eyes roamed up along Rasid's massive form, leaning back so that he could see Rasid's head. Chibi-Duo was so intent on looking at Rasid though, that he lost his balance and fell on his backside.

"Are you well?" Rasid asked, bending to kneel in front of the boy.

"You're HUGE!" Chibi-Duo very nearly shouted. "You a giant, like in the storybooks?"

Rasid smiled, shaking his head. "No . . . I am simply larger than the average person." He replied.

Chibi-Duo bounced to his feet. "Hey . . . can I ride on your shoulders? Please?"

Shaking his head yet again, Rasid chuckled. "I see no reason why you cannot. With that, he carefully lifted Chibi-Duo from the ground and settled him on his shoulders."

"Wow . . . it's so cool from up here." Chibi-Duo giggled.

Heero found the scene terribly amusing, and fought to keep the grin from his face. He turned to the stove and decided to heat up Duo's soup. There was no need for the braided youth to wait forever for his lunch, not when he was ill anyway.

* * *

Duo groggily awakened, his head throbbing in protest to every breath he took. "Ohhhh . . . I hate this!" He groaned, bringing his hand up to rub his head in the hope of easing some of the ache that stabbed at him. His attention snapped to the door as it opened, and he managed a small smile when Heero stepped into the room.

"Heero!" He then noticed the tray that Heero was carrying. "What is that?"

Heero quirked a smile. "Your lunch, and you better eat it or Chibi-Duo will worry. It's bad enough he's refusing to go shopping with the rest of us for fear of you not being taken care of properly."

"The kid's that worried about me?" Duo questioned, feeling incredibly sorry for scaring his young clone . . . no, his son . . . in such a manner. He hadn't meant to become ill, but he couldn't really do anything about that now.

"He's you, Duo. You would worry in his shoes, wouldn't you?" Heero placed the tray on the little table beside the bed and handed a mug of tea to Duo. "Now . . . you have a choice here. Chibi-Duo won't come with us if he knows you're alone. So you can either let one of the Maguanac look after you, or I can call in a special operative."

Duo chuckled. After the war, the pilots had all become very good friends with a certain individual. As a result, the person was often called in for special circumstances due to the great powers of persuasion she possessed. And so, Heero referred to her as a special operative.

"Go ahead and call Relena, Heero. I think it would be good for her to meet Lena and Milliardo." Duo smiled. He took a sip of his tea, and nearly spit it out when he began coughing.

Vaguely, he felt as Heero took the mug from him, the other young man's hands moving slowly across his back. Duo liked it, the feel of those hands on him . . . if only he weren't coughing, he'd enjoy it a whole lot more. He really hated being sick.

* * *

To Be Continued . . .


	22. Part TwentyTwo

Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.

Notes: Relena arrives and meets the clones. I warn you, this is a nice Relena.

* * *

Young Hearts

Part Twenty-Two

* * *

Relena smiled as she approached the door. She was glad that Heero had called her, even though his reasons were not the best. She liked all of the pilots, but Duo had a certain charisma. When he smiled, it made her want to smile as well. Not that she was interested in Duo in a romantic way, but he - like Heero - was sort of a protective brother to her . . . he was family, as much as any of the pilots were, although she hadn't said so to any of them.

She brushed some imaginary dust from her slacks and rang the doorbell, nervously flipping her bangs back and hoping that she didn't look a fright. This was a one of a kind moment . . . she was about to meet herself in a few moments. Still, even though she was a bit nervous, she had to fight off a laugh when she heard a young voice yell from the other side of the door.

"I'll get it! Hey . . . lemme down, okay, Rasid?"

She could hear Wufei's warning to the child to be careful and tried to imagine who it was that would be answering. The little voice called from the other side of the door.

"Who's there . . . OH! Thanks!"

From the shadows moving against the peep hole, Relena guessed that someone had lifted the child up to see. Her suspicions were confirmed when she heard the child describing her appearance. A moment later, the door opened and Relena forced herself not to let out a squeal of delight at just how adorable the little boy was. She crouched down and smiled at what was obviously Duo's clone. 'And no one ever adopted him? I wonder why.' She smiled and held her hand out.

"Hello. My name is Relena. What's yours?"

"Ummm . . . Chibi-Duo . . . ummm . . ." The little Duo looked behind him and then looked at Relena a few times.

It was then that Relena glanced over and smiled at the little girl that was her own clone. The child was hiding behind Wufei, obviously wary of her. Relena merely smiled. "Hello there. You can come closer, I won't bite."

The little girl came forward and looked at her curiously. A young boy with long blonde hair, obviously the clone of Milliardo, stepped over beside the little girl and openly stared at Relena. "You . . . you look like my mama." He said in a whispered voice.

The little girl smiled. "Will I really be as pretty as you when I grow up?"

Relena smiled and nodded. Then she looked up at Wufei. "Lady Une called and informed me of the situation yesterday, but I didn't want to show up unannounced. So in that aspect, I'm glad that Heero called and asked if I could come look after Duo." Before she could continue, Chibi-Duo spoke up.

"Are you SURE you can look after my daddy?" There was a stubborn look about him that echoed his older self. She found it adorable.

"Yes. I've been called in on a few occasions when he was ill and needed someone to make sure he took care of himself." She smiled and turned her gaze back to Wufei. "Lady Une has tried to contact my brother and Miss Noin, but she hasn't been able to reach them as of yet. You know how they get when they're in the middle of a project."

"I quite understand." Wufei nodded. "Allow me to make introductions . . . everyone except Heero and Duo are in the kitchen." Wufei offered, gesturing for Relena to enter the house.

She did, and closed the door behind herself. A little hand slipped into hers, and she looked down, smiling when she saw Chibi-Duo holding her hand. The little boy was simply adorable. Relena couldn't help but want to smother him with hugs and kisses . . . but she decided not to do that just yet.

"Be warned . . ." Wufei said, gaining Relena's attention once again. "Trowa's clone is . . . skittish . . . of any and all human contact. Don't approach him unless you assure him of friendship and ask his permission beforehand. Also, he does not speak, so attempting to engage him in conversation would be a wasted effort."

"I'll be cautious of him." Relena replied, following Wufei into the kitchen. She smiled warmly when she was brought face to face with the rest of the clones.

Chibi-Duo took his hand away from hers and ran over to another little boy . . . most definitely the clone of Heero. What a sweet looking little boy, she thought, although the cold expression on his face made her worry for him. The worry she felt faded a bit though when Chibi-Duo poked him and told him to quit the glaring. The coldness in the boy's expression then thawed a little into neutral. 'He's deciding what to make of me . . . which is to be expected.'

She entered the kitchen and fought off a laugh as she saw Quatre and his clone eating almost completely in synch. The same could be said about Trowa and his own little clone, although the two of them merely sipped at some beverage. Relena smiled kindly at the boy when he looked up at her with a startled expression.

Relena took a moment to collect her thoughts, feeling as if there were some clones she had not had the opportunity to meet yet. "Okay . . . I've met Duo's, Milliardo's, and my own . . . seen Heero's, Trowa's and Quatre's. Where . . . Oh!" She looked around at the sound of a slight scuffle and smiled in amusement. Wufei's and Treize's clones were playing what looked like tug-o-war with a plastic jar of peanut butter.

"I had it first!" Wufei's clone tugged.

"I'm older!" Treize's clone tugged back.

"Not by much!" Wufei's clone tried to yank the jar away, and failed. Treize's clone was obviously stronger than him . . . probably because he was larger and most obviously older in appearance.

Relena was about to step in and break up the fight when Lady Une's clone nabbed the jar from both of them, causing both boys to stumble a little. "I'll make 'em. Besides . . . fighting's not right." She said, nodding to herself as she climbed up onto a chair so that she would be able to better reach the counter where a loaf of bread and a butter knife were waiting.

Relena let out a little snort. It was funny hearing any form of Lady Une saying something like that. It wasn't long before Wufei introduced Relena to each child in turn, telling her the names they now went by. Trowa's clone . . . Triton . . . scurried out of his seat and hid under the kitchen table when Wufei gestured toward him. Apparently, he hadn't appreciated getting the attention. Trowa sighed, but made no move to go after his clone.

Relena diverted her attention away from the frightened boy. "So . . . where is Duo?"

"I'll show you!" Chibi-Duo volunteered, grabbing Relena's hand.

"You are not to go into that bedroom, Chibi-Duo." Wufei warned.

"I know. I know." Chibi-Duo sighed dejectedly. "But I can at least show her where the room is."

Relena smiled. "That you can." She spared a glance back at Wufei. "Don't worry, I'll make sure he doesn't go into the room."

Wufei nodded his acceptance, but said nothing in reply.

Chibi-Duo pulled on Relena's hand and she obliged by following the boy. He led her upstairs and down a long hallway. Finally, they stopped outside one of the rooms. "This is it." He said, letting go of her hand as he pointed to the wooden door. "My daddy's in there."

Relena smiled, setting her hand down on Chibi-Duo's head, lightly ruffling his hair. "Thank you for showing me the way. Don't you worry, I'll take good care of your daddy and see to it that he's up and around in no time at all."

Chibi-Duo let out a happy giggle and threw himself at Relena, hugging her with enthusiasm. Relena returned the embrace, then blinked and watched as the boy drew himself away and skipped off down the hall, returning the way they had come only a few moments ago. She shook her head with a small smile and knocked on the bedroom door.

Heero opened it a mere moment later and nodded in greeting. "That was fast. I only called an hour ago."

Relena smiled and entered the room. "I was all set up to leave the instant you called me. You see? I have learned not to pop up unannounced." She turned and smiled at Duo, who was grinning at her in return. "And you will be pleased to know that I did NOT use the pink limo today." To her delight, Heero let out a brief snort of laughter and Duo snickered a moment before erupting into a light coughing fit. "Are you taking something for that?"

Duo made a face that said he was none too happy. "Yeah . . . some cold capsules. They knock me out."

Relena nodded. "But that means you're resting like you're supposed to be." She walked over and placed her hand on Duo's forehead, nodding when she could feel that he was only a little warm. "It doesn't seem too bad. I've met the kids. Your little one seems to have a good influence on Heero's . . . brother, was it?"

Heero nodded. "Only Duo has adopted his clone as a son."

Relena smiled. "I'll see if I can get the paperwork together to make it legal then."

Duo's eyes widened, a look of pure pleasure entering his sparkling eyes. "Really? That would be AWESOME! It'll do him a world of good."

Relena beamed at Duo. "Really. He's so adorable, Duo . . . and so sweet. It makes me wonder."

Duo's smile saddened a little. "I was too smart and too energetic. I got into fights because I didn't take anyone's crap. I was a troublemaker." He sighed. "And, after a while, my behavior just tested the people . . . I was testing to see just how long they would put up with me."

Relena felt sadness for her friend well up within her and she leaned forward to hug him close. "Is that why you constantly press Wufei and Heero's buttons? You think that they'll just toss you out?"

Heero's voice came from behind her. "Hn . . . Baka." He said, turning and quickly heading over to the door. "I'll go get some juice . . . it's time for him to take his medicine again." He left, not saying anything further.

"I guess he doesn't care." Duo muttered quietly, his eyes downcast.

Relena shook her head, smiling sadly as she stroked her hand along Duo's warm face. "He does care, Duo. He just . . . well, he never was good at expressing his feelings."

Duo didn't meet her gaze. He simply took hold of her hand, saying nothing. Relena quietly held his hand, hoping that it was giving Duo some amount of comfort.

* * *

To Be Continued . . .


	23. Part TwentyThree

Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.

Notes: Another shopping trip.

* * *

Young Hearts

Part Twenty-Three

* * *

Quatre frowned as he looked around the furniture store, doing a mental count. Someone was missing, and it didn't take him a second glance for him to figure out who it was. The children - for it was unfair to call them clones all the time - were all looking at various beds.

Heero was attempting to keep Chibi-Duo from bouncing on one bed, while Odin and Tian Bao looked on and snickered. Milliardo and Treize were simply sitting on the beds they had chosen, whereas Midii and Lena were laying down and giggling about something or other. Triton was holding Trowa's hand, and the boy didn t look at all comfortable with being here. The only one that Quatre didn't see was Raberba. Quatre looked around for a moment in worry.

Then he smiled when he saw the boy. Shaking his head in relief, pushing back his lingering fears, he approached the child. "Raberba?"

"Hm? Oh . . . sorry. I didn't mean to fall behind. Everyone pick?" He looked a little disheartened.

It took Quatre less than a minute to find out the reason behind his longing expression. "Everyone except for you and Triton . . . and I can guess what it is you want."

He put his hand on the post of the bunk bed that Raberba was looking at. He smiled gently as the child shrugged and looked down. Clearly, he didn't think that he would be getting the bed that he truly wanted.

"Let's see what Triton thinks." Quatre suggested. "I'll be right back." Quatre smiled and turned, only to find that Trowa and Triton were already there. Kneeling down, he faced the frightened little boy, hoping that Triton wouldn't run away from him. "Oh! Good . . . what do you think, Triton? You will, after all, be sharing your room with Raberba."

The silent little boy looked up at Trowa. When Trowa nodded, the boy warily walked over to Raberba and tilted his head, biting his lip nervously. After a moment, he glanced at the bed. With one shaking finger, he pointed to himself and with his other hand, which also trembled, he pointed to the bottom bunk. Then he switched his pointing to indicate that he wanted Raberba to take the top bunk.

Quatre and Trowa looked at each other and smiled. The child was still terrified, and trembled where he stood. But at least Triton was starting to communicate and assert himself in little ways. That was a good thing.

Raberba blinked. "You want the bottom bunk if we get it?" At Triton's nod, Raberba turned to face Quatre. "Can we get them?"

Quatre chuckled and nodded. "To be honest, I always wanted a bunk bed."

Raberba nodded. "Father was too scared that I'd fall out, even with the side rails in place."

Quatre walked over and placed a hand on Raberba's shoulder. "I miss him, too." Quatre sighed, secretly glad that Raberba hadn't had to see what had happened with his own eyes. That was the hardest thing for Quatre . . . the image of the resource satellite blowing up with his father still on it. It had caused Quatre to snap, and he was glad that little Raberba would never have to deal with that emotional stress.

A hand on his own shoulder, made Quatre turn. He gave a weak smile to Trowa, who stood beside him. "Are you okay?" Trowa questioned. Triton, once again, had hidden himself behind Trowa's body, although he did peek out at Quatre curiously.

"Yeah . . . I'll be fine." Quatre replied. He took a breath, then sighed. "Come on, we had better find a salesperson. I think we ve got just about everything we need now."

* * *

Relena sighed and gently pushed Duo to lie down. "You have GOT to rest, Duo!"

Duo folded his arms and grimaced. "Relena . . . you KNOW how much I hate being stuck in bed! I'm very active! All I wanna do is move to the sofa downstairs so I can watch TV."

Relena crossed her arms over her own chest. "You must not be thinking straight, Duo. You know how susceptible children are to illnesses. You could be contagious."

Duo let out a breath and fell back to lie down. "I'm gonna go nuts here in a minute." He groaned, throwing an arm over his face.

Relena smiled. "How about a compromise? I think I saw a small TV somewhere when Heero was showing me around earlier. If you promise to stay put while I go look for it, I'll bring it in here. I'll make you some tea too."

"That would be great." Duo grinned. "Oh, and I like six spoons of sugar and a little milk."

"All right. You stay put and I'll be right back." Relena smiled, taking a moment to brush her fingers along Duo's cheek. She was pleased to find that his skin didn't feel quite as warm as it had only a few hours ago.

She had only just gotten the kettle on, when she heard the front door open. Curious to know who was home so early, she walked out, only to find Rasid and several other Maguanac bringing furniture in through the front door. They set one rather comfortable looking sofa down in the living room.

"That was quick." Relena commented. "I didn't expect anyone back for hours yet."

Rasid turned to her and bowed respectfully. "Yes . . . Master Quatre already knew what he wanted before going to the furniture store . . . for the most part anyway. It took three stores to get everything we require." Rasid paused to glance around the room. "We brought an empty truck as well . . . we'll be taking out the remainder of our belongings, as well as items that Master Quatre has no further use for. I believe we will start down here."

"Just let me know when you're ready to begin with the bedrooms and Duo and I will get out of your way." Relena smiled.

"Of course, Miss Relena." Rasid replied, bowing again.

Relena then went back to what she had been doing earlier. She readied the tea, then found the television she had promised to look for. She took the television to Duo first, deciding his tea could wait a moment . . . besides, she knew that he was already bored, no need to make him wait any longer for something to occupy him. The smile on his face was more than enough thanks for her as she hooked it up and handed over the remote.

Duo immediately began flipping through the channels. Shaking her head in amusement, Relena left the bedroom and retrieved the cups of tea . . . she had made one for herself as well. Duo thanked her as he sipped at his, having settled on watching some classic movie Relena didn't know the name of.

* * *

Heero sighed as he turned off the ignition of the car.

"Why're we here? I thought that guy with the funny hat was gonna buy food at that big warehouse."

Heero glanced at Chibi-Duo in the rearview mirror. "Ahmad bought the things that we'll be using a lot of at the wholesale store. Things like milk, eggs, bread, meats and such. Unfortunately, there is very little by way of selection there, so we're here to buy specific items."

Chibi-Duo nodded. "It'll be interestin' ta not steal food from a market for a change."

Odin frowned at Chibi-Duo. "You stole food?"

Chibi-Duo nodded again. "Had to. Either that or starve, and starvin' is worse than freezin'. Least if ya freeze, ya just feel sleepy after a while. It's why the chill after being in the water wasn't too bad."

Heero paused and turned in his seat to look at the child form of Duo, as Lena leaned over the seat that she was in to look at him. "You've frozen?"

"Almost froze solid b'fore Solo found me." Then the child shrugged as if it was no big deal.

Odin's frown deepened and he reached over to grab Chibi-Duo's braid lightly. "Never gonna happen again." He said with a nod, his face portraying nothing but seriousness.

Heero smiled warmly at the protectiveness that Odin was showing for the slightly smaller boy. "Odin is right. We'll make sure you never feel cold or hungry again." At the smile Chibi-Duo gave, Heero opened the car door. "All right . . . everybody out."

Lena bounced a little as she moved to walk beside Heero, taking hold of his hand. "Umm . . . Mister Heero?"

Heero looked down at the girl. "You can leave off the Mister part, Lena. What is it?"

The girl turned to whisper with Midii for a second, then turned back to Heero. "We wanna help! Can we? Please?"

Heero looked at the two young girls who seemed so eager to assist. "Very well. Abdul is going to pick up cereal and the like." He nodded to Abdul as the man got out of the van parked next to Heero's vehicle. "Abdul was told what cereals each of you young ones like. Stay with him. Okay?"

Lena and Midii cheered and followed the good-natured Maguanac into the store, each of them letting Abdul hold hands with them as they moved across the parking lot to the entrance.

Chibi-Duo looked up at Heero, both he and Odin allowing Heero to take hold of their hands. "What're WE getting?" He asked.

Heero smiled as he entered the store and saw that they had carts with seats for older children. "Walk or ride?" He asked. Since both boys wanted to walk, he got a regular cart. "We're picking up the produce." He said in answer to Chibi-Duo's question.

"Huh?" Chibi-Duo looked at Heero in confusion. "What's that?"

Odin answered. "Fruits and veg-eat-ables. They're important."

Chibi-Duo beamed. "They're yummy, too! Are we gonna get apples? I know how to pick the best ones!"

Heero smiled back, if only briefly. "Apples, pears, peaches, oranges, bananas, cherries . . . I think Quatre said something about liking grapes. And then there are the vegetables. Cucumbers, celery, carrots . . ."

"YUCK!" Chibi-Duo exclaimed, making a face that clearly declared he didn't like that certain vegetable. "I don't like those mushy carrots!"

Heero chuckled. "You never will. That's why I steam them so they're still crunchy. We also have to get a great deal of salad items. So . . . Chibi-Duo, you can pick out the fruit since you're the expert, and Odin can help me with the vegetables. Deal?"

Chibi-Duo nodded enthusiastically.

"Good, then let's go." Heero nodded. He watched for a moment as Chibi-Duo went skipping off over to the apples, then turned to gather the needed vegetables with Odin, always keeping Chibi-Duo within eyesight. He didn't want to lose the child.

* * *

To Be Continued . . .


	24. Part TwentyFour

Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.

Notes: Quatre, Trowa, and Wufei head to the toy store with the children. Quatre is shocked when Triton does something unexpected.

* * *

Young Hearts

Part Twenty-Four

* * *

Quatre chuckled as he led Raberba into the toy store. This was something else he had missed out on when he had been a child himself. Being the son of a noted businessman made it too dangerous for him to be out in the open, or so his father had often said.

"Well . . . go on and look around. Pick something you'd want to play with." He looked over to where Triton was looking up at Trowa with an air of uncertainty.

Trowa knelt down to be at eye level with the boy. "It's all right, Triton. We know you already have the bear. You can get something else. Right Quatre?"

Quatre followed Trowa's lead and knelt by the boy, far enough away so as not to make the child nervous. "That's right . . . go ahead and pick something. No one will get angry with you." As the boy nervously released Trowa's hand, Quatre smiled in encouragement.

When both of them stood after Triton had skittered off, Trowa shook his head. "He's waiting for the blow to come. The thing that will prove to him that this is all a farce to lure him in. It will take a while for him to trust anyone."

Quatre turned and smiled warmly at Trowa. "He will learn to trust, my friend, Trowa . . . YOU did, after all."

Trowa offered a brief, fleeting smile. "Thanks." He whispered quietly, then turned and walked away, probably in search of Triton to keep an eye on the boy.

Quatre merely watched him leave . . . sighing as he watched Trowa. He would like to be more than just a friend, but that was unlikely, and Quatre wouldn't risk their friendship for his own small hopes. He shook his head, sighing again before he walked further into the store and went to see what the other children had chosen.

A number of hours later, the kids were finally ready to leave. The kids had all chosen their toys . . . strangely Tian Bao had chosen a stuffed animal, a panda, although Quatre hadn't thought that the boy would want something like that. Of course Wufei also purchased a good deal of games, chess and checkers, and several other strategy games, not just for Tian Bao, but for the other children as well.

Triton had mostly picked out coloring books and crayons, a couple of pads of paper that he could draw on. Raberba, to Quatre's amusement had picked a stuffed dog that was bigger than he was . . . the poor boy couldn't even carry it around without falling over. Quatre had decided to splurge and purchase a video game system and several games geared toward children . . . as well as accessories so that multiple people could play at the same time.

Treize had taken a liking to interlocking building blocks, as well as a remote controlled racing car. And Milliardo seemed to enjoy the several packs of toy cars that he had found, as well as the number of puzzle books. Quatre smiled, glad that the kids had toys they'd like. All the children had something now and Trowa and Wufei were standing at the checkout getting ready to purchase the items.

However, one child was unaccounted for.

"One moment . . . I think Triton is still looking." Quatre said, squeezing Trowa's arm briefly. "I'll go see if I can find him."

Trowa looked around and nodded.

Quatre hurried around the store, hoping to find the child before Trowa and Wufei got to the cashier. If Triton wanted something else, he'd probably feel bad if they had to bother the cashier again. Quatre didn't want the boy to feel guilty, not when he was already such a timid child.

At the sound of a soft giggle, Quatre walked over to the educational section.

"The cow says . . ." The electronic voice said, followed by the unmistakable sound of a cow mooing.

Led by the sound, Quatre found Triton. What happened next took Quatre by complete and total surprise. Had it been any of the other children, it wouldn't have been such a big deal. But it wasn't any of them . . . it was Triton.

"Moo . . ." Triton giggled after mimicking the sound in a softly spoken voice.

Quatre took a few steps back, nearly falling to the floor in his shock. He sidestepped into another aisle, out of eyesight of Triton, letting himself gain his composure again. The boy had spoken . . . he had actually opened his mouth and made a sound . . . Quatre couldn't get over that.

He took a few deep, calming breaths, then stepped back into the aisle, smiling as he approached Triton slowly. He didn't see any need to embarrass the child, so fought to suppress the urge to jump for pure joy as he announced his presence with a calm tone.

"There you are." He said softly, walking toward the boy with cautious steps. He was glad when Triton didn't turn and run off, or cower before him. Still, the child looked quite frightened. "We're about ready to leave. Have you found something else you like?" He kept his voice encouraging, knowing that positive influences would do the boy good.

After a few moments, Triton held up the electronic toy with unsteady hands, his eyes swimming with hope and nervousness.

Quatre felt like dancing with delight. 'I will HAVE to tell Trowa. This is a good thing.' He took the toy from Triton and reached over to get a few interchangeable cards, smiling at the look of awe and gratitude that Triton had on his face.

"Come along, Triton . . . the others will be waiting." He smiled warmly as Triton walked in front of him, thrilled by the simple show of trust. 'This is very good.'

Upon their return to the checkout lane, Quatre set the toy and cartridges on the conveyor belt, noticing that Trowa had taken notice of it and was looking at him curiously. Quatre gave Wufei a smile, doing a quick headcount to make sure all of the children were there before he spoke.

"Wufei . . . Trowa and I will be right back. I just have to make sure we have everything." Quatre said, laying his hand on Wufei's arm for a moment.

"Why do you need Trowa?" Wufei asked, but shook his head before Quatre could give any sort of reply. He rapidly fell into grumbling, shaking his head again. "Leaving me with all the toys . . . injustice."

Quatre smiled faintly, then moved away from the checkout. Trowa followed behind him. Once they were out of sight of the others and away from anyone who could overhear, Trowa spoke up.

"What's this all about? And why did you get that for Triton?" Trowa inquired.

"Because I found him with it." Quatre replied, knowing that he was smiling. "Trowa . . . he repeated after it. Sure, it was just to mimic a cow, but isn't that a good thing? And he does want the toy. It would be wrong not to encourage him."

Trowa blinked, shaking his head briefly. "Wait . . . back up a second. He repeated after it?"

Quatre nodded enthusiastically. "Yes . . . true, all he said was moo but that's better than nothing, isn't it? And a couple of the cards will get him repeating letters and numbers." Quatre sighed, remembering the look on the boy's face when he had walked over to him. "When I first approached him, he looked as if I had caught him doing something bad and that he'd be punished for it. I think it shocked him when I took it along with those other cards. He really wants the toy, Trowa. Maybe it's his way of testing us to be sure he is allowed to speak. And then he walked AHEAD of me, Trowa . . . he turned his back on me."

"All right . . . calm down. It is wonderful." Trowa said, smiling warmly. "And it makes me glad that you were the one who happened upon him. He'd have hidden it from everyone else, I believe." He looked around briefly, then plucked a handheld electronic game off of a shelf . . . it was various casino games. "For Duo."

Quatre smiled. "He'll love it. Come on, let's go . . . I don't think Wufei appreciated being left alone with all of the children and toys."

The two of them returned to the checkout line, Quatre smiling shyly to Wufei in apology. As they waited for the cashier to finish ringing everything up, Quatre noticed that Triton was looking a little bit tired. The boy was rubbing his eyes wearily. After a few moments, he stepped over to Trowa and tugged on the tall young man's jeans, gaining his attention. Grunting a little, Triton raised his arms, silently requesting to be picked up.

"Tired, eh little one?" Trowa smirked, bending slightly and indulging the boy's request.

Triton merely yawned and wrapped his arms around Trowa, laying his head against his elder self's shoulder. He snuggled close, a soft grunt passing his lips as he closed his eyes. Quatre was glad to see that Triton trusted Trowa so much . . . to allow himself to be held without hesitation. He hoped that one day Triton would allow other people to touch him, to allow physical contact from others.

They left the store shortly after that. Wufei and Quatre packed all of the toys into the back of the van, while Trowa got into the back seat, Triton still sleeping against him. None of the three adults had wanted to disturb the boy's sleep, and Trowa worried that Triton would be frightened if he awakened somewhere other than where he had fallen asleep . . . so Trowa would continue to hold him.

Once everything was inside the van, Wufei ushered the children inside. Quatre stepped forward then, having had a sudden thought.

"Just a moment, Wufei. I need to speak with Raberba a moment." Quatre said, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder as Wufei nodded and got into the driver's seat. He smiled and knelt in front of the worried-looking child. "It's all right, Raberba. You haven't done anything wrong." Quatre assured the boy. "I just want to ask you a favor."

Raberba frowned for a moment, then shrugged. "What is it?"

Quatre took a deep breath. He knew that he was going to be asking a lot of Raberba. "It's about Triton. You'll be sharing a bedroom with him, so there's something you should be careful of. Well, there are probably several things to be careful of, but this one is very important." Quatre took another breath. "One of his choices for a toy was an electronic game. It's educational and geared toward young children so they can learn their alphabets and numbers and other things." Quatre brought his hand up to caress the little boy's face. "It is really important that you don't tease him if you catch him repeating anything the toy says. Do you understand? Can you do that? You don't have to be outwardly nice . . . just don't tease him. Please?"

Raberba looked over to the van, to where Triton was curled up, asleep in Trowa's arms. Then he nodded. "I won't tease him."

Quatre smiled, softly stroking the side of Raberba's face. "Thank you . . . I'm sure you ve noticed how quiet he is. Even if he doesn't know you're being nice to him, I do . . . and I appreciate it greatly."

Raberba's cheeks turned pink and he shyly lowered his gaze. He was a kind boy, really he was . . . it was just that he was afraid of being himself, of lowering his guard. Quatre understood that.

"Now, come on and get in the car. We're heading home." Quatre said, offering a smile. "I'm sure your room is all set up by now. The Maguanac always do their work impeccably well and with haste."

Raberba smiled brightly and all but clambered into the car next to where Trowa was sitting. Quatre got in after him, closing the door as soon as he was sure that everyone was all settled within the car.

* * *

To Be Continued . . .


	25. Part TwentyFive

Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.  
  
Notes: Heero and the others return home from shopping. Duo is allowed to leave the bedroom to spend time with Chibi-Duo. And Raberba gets to know Triton better.  
  
Young Hearts  
  
Part Twenty-Five  
  
Heero smiled as he opened the door to the estate, letting the kids run in ahead of him. "Your stuff should be in your rooms already. Why don't you go and play while I check up on Duo?"  
  
Chibi-Duo paused and looked solemnly at Heero. "Will you let me see my daddy if he's feeling better?"  
  
Heero knelt down to be at eye-level with the boy. "I promise. If I feel that you can visit Duo, I will call you."  
  
Chibi-Duo stood there for a moment, and then lashed out to give Heero a quick hug. Then he was gone, heading upstairs with Odin in tow.  
  
Heero smiled at the little giggle that he heard coming from his own adopted brother. 'Ah, Duo . . . seeing Odin so happy makes me wish that I had known you when I was a child.' He sighed, clearing away the thoughts . . . it would do no good to dwell on them now.  
  
He caught a glance of movement and stood, halting Ahmad as he was carrying some of the groceries in from the cars. Heero snagged a couple of items from the bag, heading to the kitchen briefly to rinse off something before he headed up to the room that he shared with Duo, taking with him a number of paper towels as well.  
  
*****  
  
Duo sighed as he watched the program that was currently on television. Relena had left him alone a few minutes ago, saying that she had to go to the bathroom, but Duo didn't mind. Hey, when you had to go you just had to go.  
  
He heard a light knocking, but chose to ignore the sound. Only his friends knew he was here, and an enemy probably wouldn't bother knocking . . . so he doubted that he was in any danger. Much to his delight, Heero walked into the bedroom, holding something behind his back with one hand.  
  
"Is the program so interesting that you didn't even hear me knock?"  
  
Duo blinked and smiled brightly at Heero. "Hey! I thought it was Relena. She said she was going to go to the bathroom . . . should be back any time now. I was about to ask why she was knocking." He sat up a little straighter. "Hey, Heero? I'm feeling TONS better . . . do ya think I can get up now?" All he wanted to do was to find his newly adopted son and hold him to assure the kid that everything was okay.  
  
Heero held up a finger. "One moment . . ." He picked up the thermometer that he had left in the room earlier and shook it. "Open."  
  
Duo rolled his eyes, but did as he was told. He hated this part, but if it would get him out of bed, then he wouldn't complain.  
  
Heero nodded when he pulled the thermometer out of Duo's mouth. "Your temperature is back down . . . but I don't want you overdoing things, or you could end up back in bed." Then he smirked slyly. "Now . . . since you've been such a good patient, I have a surprise for you."  
  
Duo gave Heero a mild glare. That smirk looked FAR too suspicious. "If you brought me a lollipop, I swear I'm going to belt you!"  
  
Heero laughed once at that statement, much to Duo's amazement. "Duo . . . I swear . . . if I ever did that to you, I would DESERVE to get belted. No . . ." With that said, he placed a basket of cherries on the bed beside Duo and proffered a tub of whipped cream.  
  
Duo's eyes went wide as he looked at the offered treats. He couldn't believe this . . . Heero had bought them for him? "Heero . . . what . . . how did you KNOW? I mean . . . not even HOWARD knows!" It was true. Howard usually had cookies or chips of some sort for Duo to snack on. Duo had never told anyone that he'd prefer fresh fruit or raw vegetables . . . he didn't want them to laugh at him. Everyone just expected him to love junk food . . . when as a child he had been happiest eating apples or other produce.  
  
Heero chuckled. "A soldier prides himself on being observant. And I noticed that while you pretend to be a junk food junkie, your real favorites are fruits and vegetables. When you think no one is looking, I've spotted you chomping on carrots and celery. But your true favorites . . ." He held up the basket with a smile. "Are ripe, red cherries. Add a dollop of whipped cream and your face just lights up as you eat them." With that, he reached over and set a few paper towels on Duo's lap. "Now . . . go on and enjoy them. I'll go get Chibi-Duo."  
  
Although Duo wanted to see the little boy, he had to thank Heero in some way. "Wait! Heero . . . ummm . . . would you like one?"  
  
Heero grinned and plucked out a cherry by its stem.  
  
Duo felt his jaw drop as Heero popped the whole thing into his mouth . . . stem and all. 'What is he DOING? Is he doing what I think he is?' Duo forced himself to breathe when after a few moments, Heero pulled the stem out of his mouth . . . which was now tied securely around the pit.  
  
"I'll go get Chibi-Duo now." With a soft chuckle, Heero was gone.  
  
Duo blinked and looked at the paper towel that had the stem and pit on it. "Oh man . . . if he keeps doing stuff like that . . . I don't know WHAT I'll do." He groaned, falling back against the pillows behind him.  
  
He couldn't believe that Heero had done that. Was that some sort of signal? Did Heero want him like that . . . or was it just some way to show off? Good God . . . if he could do that to a cherry stem with his tongue . . . the idea of Heero having such a talented tongue sent Duo into mindless imaginings. He was to the point of drooling over the fact that Heero was gifted with such dexterity, when he heard a timid knock at his door.  
  
Duo wiped his mouth off and sat up straighter, smiling broadly as Chibi-Duo peeked into the bedroom with Odin right behind him. He pushed aside his thoughts of Heero, deciding to worry about it later and waved the two boys in.  
  
"Come on in, you two." He smiled. "Want some cherries?"  
  
Heero appeared in the doorway behind the two children. "Duo . . . don't you spoil their dinner. Just as soon as the others arrive, I'll begin cooking. I'm going to use what's already in the house . . . get rid of that before we start on what we bought today. I should be able to make an appropriate meal."  
  
Duo sighed. "Just one cherry each then?" He pouted.  
  
Heero rolled his eyes, but nodded. "Only one." He agreed. "When you get out of bed, I want you to put on warm clothes and thick socks . . . you shouldn't catch a chill. It might only aggravate your illness and cause a relapse."  
  
"Geez, Heero . . . It's just a cold." Duo groaned.  
  
"I don't want you gettin' sicker, Daddy." Chibi-Duo pouted, his little hands on the edge of Duo's bed, looking up at his elder self with wide, frightened eyes.  
  
Duo patted the spot on the bed beside him. "Get up here . . . the both of you." He set the cherries aside as the children climbed up, deciding that the snack could wait until later. He looked at them both for a moment, then smiled a little.  
  
"Listen to me, both of you. I'm fine." He held up a hand to forestall his son from saying anything. "I KNOW that's what Solo said again and again before he died, but do you honestly think that Heero over there would even consider letting me up if I was in any danger? I may gripe about it, but I'll do as he says. As long as I listen to him, I will be fine. Okay?"   
  
Duo smiled warmly as Chibi-Duo sniffled and nodded. "C'mere." With that, he pulled both children into a huge hug. Chibi-Duo, because the child needed the contact to be sure that everything would be okay. And Odin, because Duo didn't want the little boy to feel left out. He released the boys after a moment. "Now . . . Odin, would you get those socks Heero was talking about?"  
  
Odin nodded. "Yes, sir." With that, he scrambled off the bed.  
  
It made Duo smile to see Odin's reaction. It wasn't that of a soldier following an order. It was that of a little boy who honestly wanted to help. The 'sir' was only added because Duo was older.  
  
Duo turned to Chibi-Duo. "Would you get my robe? It should be on the chair over there."  
  
"Okay, Daddy!" Chibi-Duo squealed in excitement as he got off of the bed, causing Duo to chuckle a little. It made him happy to see that the boy had cheered up some.  
  
He smiled as he donned his socks and robe. "Now . . . let's see what you guys got! I missed out on all the fun of helping you choose the beds, and I wanna see them." He then spied the cherries and decided it would be better to put them and the whipped cream away first. "First off though, we have to make a pit stop at the kitchen . . . don't want these to spoil." He smiled again, allowing the children to pull him up. He followed happily after them.  
  
*****  
  
Trowa looked out the car window and sighed. "Looks like there's going to be a storm later." He commented. He shook his head and turned his attention to the small child sleeping on his lap. 'Such a short amount of time . . . and you've made so much progress.' And it was true. Though still a bit jittery, Triton had started asserting himself in little ways. Plus, he had chosen a toy that would eventually get him to talking. Trowa smiled and gently rubbed Triton's back.  
  
"Hmm?" Triton blinked his eyes open and peered up at Trowa. There was a brief instant of trepidation lingering in the child's eyes . . . and then Triton smiled shyly and curled closer to Trowa, a soft sigh passing through his lips.  
  
Trowa blinked as he felt his breath catch in his throat. Without words, Triton had just said, "I trust you not to hurt me." That was the biggest compliment that Trowa had ever gotten. He closed his eyes against the prickling sensation and carefully hugged the boy. When he opened his eyes, he glanced over to see Quatre smiling happily at him. Trowa felt his lips quirk in answer as he nodded. Quatre was right . . . Triton was making excellent progress.  
  
Triton made a soft little grunting sound, timidly wrapping his arms around Trowa's upper body. Trowa enjoyed the contact . . . if only because he knew that Triton couldn't hurt him as so many others had done in the past. He pushed aside the memories, deciding instead to focus on the child resting against him. Trowa let his smile remain as he tenderly swept his fingers through the boy's soft hair, idly stroking his scalp in what he hoped was a soothing manner.  
  
"Looks like we're almost home." Wufei commented.  
  
Triton turned to look out the window, his head still resting against Trowa's chest as the car passed through the gates of the estate. Trowa was happy that the boy was reacting so well . . . just yesterday Triton probably would have panicked about being held, feared Wufei even if the Asian youth had only been making a comment. Triton was recovering well . . . perhaps in time he would actually get up the courage to speak his mind and not hide if he got frightened by something. He wasn't all better yet . . . but he was getting there.  
  
*****  
  
Raberba looked around the newly furnished bedroom with a feeling of awe. It was just like he'd always wanted his room to be. With an indulgent squeal, he scurried up the ladder of the bunk bed and flopped into the top bunk.  
  
"Wow! It's so HIGH!" He leaned over the railing and blinked down at Triton. The quiet boy was frowning in worry and looking at the corner of a bedspread that he held in his hand. "Whatcha wanna do with that?" Raberba asked, curiously.  
  
Triton jumped a little, then looked up and bit his lip. After a moment, he climbed the bottom rung of the ladder and struggled with tying the bedspread to one of the rails.  
  
"You need help?" Raberba asked. At Triton's nod, Raberba held out his hand. "Give me the other corner and I'll tie that one for you."  
  
Triton gave Raberba a small, gratitude-filled smile and handed the other corner to him.  
  
'It's not like he's gonna tell everyone how nice I'm being.' Raberba thought, sticking out his tongue as he concentrated on tying the knot. After a few minutes of trying, he had a knot that he knew would hold. When he was done, he scooted to the end of the bed, and smiled when he leaned over and saw that Triton had done a similar thing with a pillowcase at the foot of the beds.  
  
"What you want to do that for, anyway?"  
  
Raberba got his answer soon enough, as Triton pushed the pillowcase aside and crawled into bed.  
  
"Ohhh . . . okay." Raberba nodded. He didn't really understand, but he got a sense that Triton wanted to hide for some reason. Raberba shrugged it off and climbed down. He sighed when he looked at his dog. There was NO way that he was going to be able to get the huge thing up to his bunk. Not on his own, anyway.  
  
"Umm . . . Triton?" Raberba asked cautiously, scuffing his toe on the floor when Triton peeked out at him. "Since I helped you, will you help me? I need to get my dog up there."  
  
Triton just stared at Raberba a moment before nodding.  
  
Raberba smiled and scurried back up to the top bunk. After a moment, he saw the top of his dog. He grabbed it and pulled it up. "Yeay! Thanks!" He exclaimed, pushing the dog to the foot of the bed and just looking at it for a moment. Then he climbed down. He was surprised that the other boy wasn't hiding.  
  
After a moment, Triton scurried into his fort . . . only to come back out with his speaking toy. He solemnly offered it to Raberba, and the blonde could see that Triton's hands were shaking.  
  
"What? You're lending it to me?" Raberba asked. At Triton's nod, Raberba felt a small burst of warmth spread through him. "Hey . . . why are you hiding from ME? I'm smaller than you."  
  
Triton blinked a moment, as if realizing for the first time that Raberba was right. Then he smiled a little and shrugged.  
  
Raberba smiled back, if only for a moment. He was beginning to understand what Quatre had meant about Triton . . . the other boy was just scared of everybody, even Raberba who was a good deal shorter than him. He wondered why . . . but decided not to ask. There would be no point in questioning Triton since the other kid didn't talk anyway. No wonder Quatre had asked him not to tease Triton . . . maybe they wanted him to be more confident . . . to talk. Raberba nodded if only to himself, knowing that he would do his best not to pick on Triton. He wanted to hear what Triton's voice sounded like and didn't think the taller boy would talk if Raberba was mean to him.  
  
*****  
  
Quatre sighed as he approached the bedrooms. The good thing was that Duo had recovered enough to keep Chibi-Duo occupied . . . the tension in that little boy had most definitely drained since Quatre had seen him last. Even though he had been jumping on beds in the furniture store, it had been quite apparent that he was only hiding his feelings from the others, trying to keep up a brave face as his elder self often did.  
  
Quatre smiled. He was glad that Chibi-Duo was happy again . . . and that Duo was better. Duo, Chibi-Duo and Odin were all up in the kids' room, showing off their bedroom and talking about various things. The rest of the children . . . well most of them anyway . . . were down in the study, which had been converted into a game room where the kids could play with either the board games or video games.  
  
He froze as he looked into the open door of the room that Raberba and Triton shared, and wished that he had a camera with him. Both boys were lying on their stomachs and each had a coloring book in front of them. While they were not side by side, they were within a close proximity of one another so that they could each reach the box of crayons between them.  
  
A clicking sound from behind Quatre, caused the blonde and the two children to look at the source of the sound.  
  
Trowa was standing behind Quatre with a camera in his hand and a small smile on his face. He didn't comment on the camera, but addressed the two boys. "Dinner is ready, you two. Wash your hands before coming down to the table or your food will taste like wax."  
  
Quatre smiled as he watched the two boys get up. Raberba quickly hurried out of the bedroom and into the nearest bathroom. Triton picked up each crayon from the floor and put them and the coloring books away before he followed after the little blonde. Quatre decided he'd have to talk with Raberba about cleaning up after himself . . . but it could wait a little while. At the moment, he was feeling quite a bit hungry. Talking could wait until after dinner.  
  
To Be Continued . . . 


	26. Part TwentySix

Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.  
  
Notes: The adults and children sit down to dinner . . . but trouble soon follows.  
  
Young Hearts  
  
Part Twenty-Six  
  
"I'm glad to see that you're feeling better, Duo." Quatre beamed at his friend as they started sitting for dinner. He had been slightly concerned when Heero had told him that Duo had caught a chill. "I really am sorry that I didn't leave a note to warn you about the pool."  
  
Duo shrugged and grinned. "Hey . . . it's the quickest way for my kid to learn. Remember that lesson, Chibi-Duo . . . no more playing near large bodies of water." He said, shaking his finger at the little boy as he winked.  
  
Chibi-Duo looked solemn for a moment. "Yes, Daddy. It won't happen again." Then he giggled, obviously not able to hold onto the serious mood for too long.  
  
Quatre looked around and checked to make sure that all the kids were seated and ready to eat. He smiled when he saw that everyone was present, then turned his attention to Heero as the Japanese youth walked in with several serving dishes. "Heero . . . what did you make?"  
  
Heero shrugged as he started setting the serving plates down. "Nothing fancy. I just used what was left from the Maguanac's stay here. A salad with the leftover vegetables, some chicken pieces that I breaded with the few slices of bread remaining, and spinach."  
  
Chibi-Duo frowned as the food was being passed around, the adults serving the children for the most part. "Daddy?" The little boy asked.  
  
Quatre stopped spooning food onto his plate at the tone in the boy's voice.  
  
Duo looked over. "Hm? What is it?"  
  
Chibi-Duo bit his bottom lip. "Ain't we gonna say grace?"  
  
Wufei frowned. "Some of us do not share your faith."  
  
Quatre smiled a little at the boy. A part of him was pleased to see that the child was doing something that the elder Duo had never done. "You may say it if you wish. Whether we believe in God or Allah . . . or even the Shinigami, there is always a Divine One."  
  
Chibi-Duo nodded solemnly and cleared his throat, putting his hands together as he closed his eyes and bowed his head a little. "Thanks for letting us live long enough to eat again."  
  
Quatre blinked at the child and shot a look to Duo, who had a sad smile on his face. He understood the meaning behind the words though, and decided not to speak of it. "That was very . . . uhhh . . . nice, Chibi-Duo. If there is nothing else, let's all have dinner."  
  
*****  
  
Raberba scowled at the dark-green blob sitting on his plate.  
  
Nearby, Chibi-Duo was poking at a similar blob on his own plate. "Yech! Didja hafta pick a veggie that's so slimy?" The long-haired boy asked.  
  
Odin frowned and pushed his spinach around with a fork. "It isn't slimy. It's just a bit overcooked."  
  
From where he was sitting, Quatre sighed. "No . . . Heero used the canned spinach leftover in the cabinet." He smiled apologetically over at the children. "It comes that way, sorry."  
  
Raberba wrinkled his nose in distaste. "Do we gotta eat it?"  
  
Wufei shook his head. "Eat it, or no ice cream for any of you." He growled.  
  
Raberba gasped along with the other kids . . . except Chibi-Duo for some reason. 'No ice cream? It was a barbaric idea.' With that, he started eating the blob, only to stop after one bite when Chibi-Duo asked a startling question.  
  
"What's ice cream?" The boy asked.  
  
Raberba blinked at him. How could anyone not know what ice cream was?  
  
"Ice cream is a sweet frozen food prepared from milk products and flavorings . . . typically served as a dessert." Odin spoke up, obediently eating his spinach.  
  
Raberba shook his head and continued to eat his blob. It was disgusting. And he had to stop again after only one more bite. It was too yucky.  
  
"EWWWWWW!" He exclaimed, dropping his fork to the plate.  
  
Quatre was grimacing, but he schooled his features. "Mind your manners, Raberba. Heero went through all this trouble to cook for fifteen people. It is only polite to eat what you're given . . . regardless of the vegetable selection."  
  
Raberba watched as Quatre ate the disgusting green mass for a moment, only growing angrier with each passing moment. 'He's not my father! He can't tell me what to do!' He scowled as Quatre took another bite and then moved to the chicken. 'He didn't even eat all of it. He took two tiny bites! Why does he get to ignore it and I hafta eat it?' Raberba looked down at his own plate, a smirk coming to his face. 'If HE doesn't eat it, then I won't!' Although he knew that he'd be punished for this, Raberba filled his fork with the spinach. He smiled innocently at Quatre a second before he flung it at the older blonde.  
  
What he didn't expect was that the uneven formation of the canned vegetable would cause it to veer off course. It hit Tian Bao instead.  
  
*****  
  
Wufei froze, his fork held in midair, when he saw what the tiny blonde had done. He glanced at Quatre, who nodded. Wufei was about to stand and take Raberba up to the room the boy shared with Triton, when Treize started laughing while pointing at the spinach dripping down Tian Bao's cheek. 'This does not look good.' Wufei thought, taking a breath. 'I had quite a temper at that age.'  
  
True to Wufei's foreboding, Tian Bao scowled at Treize and flung a fork-full of his own spinach at the russet-haired child.  
  
The next thing that Wufei knew, there was food flying everywhere. Triton was under the table, having immediately dived for cover as soon as things had gotten so messy, although he had thrown one handful of salad, probably just as a reactionary measure. Lena, Midii, and Milliardo were giggling madly while throwing food. Chibi-Duo had thrown a couple of limp spinach leaves, then had joined Triton under the table. A quick look under there had told Wufei that the child was now eating as quickly as he could.  
  
Odin had lettuce on his head, but he also had a small smile on his face as he threw spinach at Milliardo, and Treize continued to throw food at Tian Bao. The older diners seemed to be at a loss of what to do since there was a great deal of noise coming from the squealing children. After a moment, Wufei stood up, deciding that he had had enough of this foolishness.  
  
"ENOUGH!!" He yelled, slamming his hands down on the table and causing a number of glasses to tip over and spill. "Stop that, all of you!" He took a deep breath to calm himself. "Triton, Chibi-Duo . . . please get back in your seats." He almost smiled when he noticed that Chibi-Duo had cleaned his plate. 'The boy probably just wanted to join in briefly.' He also noticed that Triton looked worried . . . no, the boy looked downright petrified.  
  
After a moment of silence, Wufei spoke. "I must say that I am fairly disappointed . . . in ALL of you. I believe that I speak for everyone?" He paused as the others nodded in agreement with him. Heero couldn't hide the small smile on his face from Wufei though. "Whilst I agree that the canned spinach is . . . well there are no words to describe it. That however, doesn't excuse the fact that you wasted it. You have also made a mess of the dining room. Tian Bao . . . I will speak with you later on how to control your temper. Had you not reacted, only Raberba would have been punished tonight for his poor manners. Now . . . all of you are to finish what's left of your dinners, clean up the mess you made in this room, wash yourselves, and go to bed . . . without dessert."  
  
The children grumbled and pouted, several of them bowing their heads. They all looked positively miserable, but Wufei would not back down from this. They had to learn their manners. Throwing food was simply not acceptable.  
  
Triton immediately began eating his dinner again, his hands shaking as he did so. Wufei hoped that he had not damaged the child's already battered psyche. Trowa quietly set his hand on the boy's back, rubbing his shoulders lightly. It seemed to calm the child though . . . Triton's hands slowly became more steady.  
  
Chibi-Duo, since he had already finished his meal, began cleaning the area around his seat. The other children resumed their eating, although Raberba defiantly avoided the spinach on his plate. When they were all finished, they cleaned the mess. Relena and the older youths watched their progress, keeping an eye on them at all times.  
  
Wufei, deciding that it was time to start getting them ready for bed, turned to look at his friends. "Okay, I think it is time for the children to ready themselves for bed . . . one at a time would be best I think. I don't want any of them getting in further trouble." He nodded his head in Trowa's direction. "Trowa, why don't you take Triton upstairs and get him ready for bed?"  
  
Triton looked over at the sound of his name, his eyes wide and full of fear. Perhaps he expected a further punishment . . . Wufei felt sorry for distressing the boy.  
  
"Of course." Trowa responded. "Come on, Triton." The tall youth said, extending his hand to the young boy.  
  
Triton quickly walked over to Trowa and took hold of his hand, obediently following the older youth out of the dining room. Wufei watched them leave, then returned his attention to the other children. One by one, as the minutes ticked by, Wufei dismissed each of the boys and girls, until eventually only Raberba was left cleaning. He had been the one that started it all, so it was only right that he be the last allowed to leave.  
  
By then, only Wufei remained in the dining room, watching Raberba. Relena had gone to tend to Lena and Midii and Quatre had volunteered to watch Tian Bao. At the moment, Raberba was scowling and grudgingly doing what he had been told. Only when the room was clean did Wufei allow him to go to bed. It was still relatively early in the evening . . . but this was a punishment after all.  
  
Raberba ducked his head and rushed by Wufei, muttering something under his breath. Wufei decided to ignore it this time. However, he felt a need to discuss the boy's attitude with Quatre. Shaking his head, Wufei turned off the light in the dining room and headed upstairs to check and see if everything was going well with the other children.  
  
To Be Continued . . . 


	27. Part TwentySeven

Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.  
  
Notes: The children are put to bed. A number of the children are talked to by the adults.  
  
Young Hearts  
  
Part Twenty-Seven  
  
Trowa sighed as he escorted Triton out of the dining room. He was disappointed in the poor behavior that the children had shown at dinner . . . throwing food . . . Trowa shook his head. And to think, Triton had participated. Even if only one handful had been thrown from Triton's hand . . . he had still taken part in the incident.  
  
An odd sound drew Trowa's attention and he looked down, only to blink when he found Triton to be crying. It was obvious that the boy was fighting to keep silent while his tears fell freely down his young face. His bottom lip trembled, his body shivering slightly as he made little sniffling sounds, hiccuping every now and then.  
  
They were by the stairs when Trowa stopped, kneeling on the ground so that he could be at eye level with the child. "Triton . . . is there something wrong?" He asked, brushing his fingers across Triton's face, only to frown when the boy flinched away from him, whimpering.  
  
Now Trowa saw what had Triton so upset. Triton was afraid that he was going to be punished, afraid that Trowa would beat him or worse. In Triton's mind, there was no other explanation for Trowa taking him and only him from the dining room as Wufei had told him to . . . to Triton, this could only mean pain. Trowa felt sorry for causing the boy distress. He should have informed Triton of his intentions from the beginning. As soon as Wufei had told him to take Triton, he should have explained that he would only be putting him to bed and nothing more. But he hadn't, and now he felt terribly sorry for it.  
  
"Sshh . . . I'm not going to hurt you, Triton." Trowa said, wanting to assure the child. "You did misbehave, and I am disappointed in your behavior, but I am not going to hurt you because of it. Okay?"  
  
He smiled as Triton gave him a beseeching look.  
  
"Have I hurt you yet? Have I given you cause to think that I would?" When Triton shook his head, Trowa let his smile widen a little. "I only meant to bring you to your room to tuck you into bed and make sure you're comfortable. The only punishment you're getting is going to bed early without dessert. Understand?" When Triton nodded with a tiny smile of his own, Trowa opened his arms, holding the boy gently. "Come on. Your face is all splotchy now and I bet you feel warm. We'll wash your face and then get you into bed. You'll be okay sharing a room with Raberba, right?"  
  
Triton smiled a little wider and nodded, wiping the back of his hand across his face. Then he shyly wrapped his arms around Trowa's neck.  
  
Touched by the growing trust that Triton had for him, Trowa carefully stood up, lifting Triton off of the floor. The child was so skittish . . . it made Trowa marvel at the little things he did that were normal for other children. He lightly rubbed Triton's back as he carried the boy up the stairs and to the nearest bathroom.  
  
When there, he set Triton down and got a washcloth, wetting it with warm water. Then he gently wiped the soft cloth along Triton's flushed face, cleaning away the tears.  
  
"There . . . isn't that better?" Trowa asked, smoothing Triton's hair back only to watch as it fell to cover his one eye once again.  
  
Triton smiled, nodding his head.  
  
Tenderly taking hold of the boy's hand, Trowa led him to his bedroom. "All right, get some pajamas from your dresser and get into bed." Trowa said, keeping his tone calm. He didn't want to further upset the child.  
  
Triton nodded and let go of Trowa's hand, quickly making his way to the dresser that contained all of his clothing. Even though Trowa was in the room with him, Triton changed his clothes. Doing that, yet again showed Trowa that Triton trusted him. If Triton felt threatened, there was no way he would have taken even his shirt off . . . at least not without a good deal of hesitation . . . and Triton hadn't hesitated at all tonight.  
  
Smiling, Trowa moved over to the bed. He was about to hold aside the sheet that acted as a barrier so that Triton could crawl into his makeshift fort, when the stomping of little feet drew his attention to the door. He blinked as Raberba entered the room. The child was flushed and scowling . . . obviously angry at something. Trowa would have chuckled if Triton hadn't suddenly run over and latched onto his leg. Anger was never good as far as Triton was concerned.  
  
Before Trowa could say anything, Raberba screamed and slammed the door closed, kicking it hard once it was shut. Triton whimpered fearfully, clinging desperately to Trowa, hiding behind him somewhat. Trowa looked down and Triton looked back up at him with an expression of pleading on his frightened face.  
  
Trowa nodded at Triton's unspoken request to make everything all right. He knew that Triton didn't like Raberba's anger. Of course, he didn't like seeing Raberba angry himself, so Trowa felt he had to at least say something. Trowa approached the scowling blonde even as Triton followed behind him, his tiny hands clutching at Trowa's leg.  
  
"Did that make you feel better?" Trowa asked, crossing his arms over his chest.  
  
Raberba jumped, his eyes wide when he noticed that Trowa was behind him. "I didn't know you were here!"  
  
Trowa shook his head. "That doesn't matter. I asked if taking your anger out on a defenseless object made you feel better. Did it?"  
  
Raberba scowled. "No." He pouted, furrowing his brow a little. "I didn't MEAN for the food fight to start! I was just angry that Quatre was telling me to eat the spinach when he didn't eat it himself. I wasn't aiming for Tian Bao."  
  
Trowa sighed. "But the food fight did happen, and you were the one who started it." He paused, then decided to explain Quatre's eating habits to the boy. "Quatre generally eats a little bit at a time of everything. It's something he's learned through the years. He said once that it made eating things he doesn't like a little more bearable. He would have eaten the spinach if you hadn't taken such rash actions. He likes to set a good example for others."  
  
Raberba snorted, crossing his arms over his chest. "He isn't my father." He muttered angrily, casting a glare at the floor.  
  
Trowa suddenly realized why Raberba was so upset. It wasn't just that Quatre hadn't eaten the spinach . . . there was more to his actions. "It hurts, doesn't it?" Trowa spoke, watching Raberba carefully. "You should talk to Quatre about it. He saw it happen. He'll also tell you that violence is not the way to solve anything. He nearly lost himself because of anger. I'd hate to see the same thing happen to you."  
  
Raberba just looked down at the floor, not saying anything in reply.  
  
Trowa sighed. "Why don't you go get washed up and ready for bed?" Trowa suggested.  
  
"Fine." Raberba huffed, stalking over to his dresser and getting a pair of pajamas. Then he quickly left the room, heading for the nearest unoccupied bathroom most likely.  
  
While the little blonde was gone, Trowa returned his attention to Triton. He guided the boy over to his bed, holding the blanket aside so Triton could crawl in. "I'll have to get you another blanket." Trowa commented, nodding toward the one that Triton had used to make his fort. "You stay right here." He smiled.  
  
Triton nodded back.  
  
Trowa left the bedroom and headed quickly to a linen closet in the hall. He found a spare blanket, one of many that had been purchased this afternoon. With it in his arms, Trowa returned to Triton's bedroom, shaking the blanket open as he entered the room. He flipped the blanket that Triton had used for his fort up over Raberba's bunk, letting it lay there while he set the fresh blanket on Triton's bed, tucking the corners under the mattress.  
  
He made sure that Triton was comfortable and snug in his bed, then returned Triton's makeshift fort to its previous state. Kneeling on the floor, Trowa pushed aside a corner, smiling a little. "You get some sleep, okay?" Trowa said, picking up the boy's bear from the floor and handing it over to him.  
  
Triton nodded, wrapping his arms around his bear.  
  
"If you need me, I'll be right down the hall. You remember which room, right?"  
  
Triton nodded again, breaking out into a yawn.  
  
Trowa smiled. "Okay. Sleep well, Triton." Trowa said, lightly brushing a hand across the child's face before he retreated, allowing the blanket to hide Triton's bed once again.  
  
It wasn't much longer before Raberba returned to the room, his hair damp. At least he had done what Trowa had told him to . . . Trowa was glad about that. But Trowa did not like the fact that the boy was still scowling.  
  
"Your face is going to get stuck like that one of these days." Trowa commented, picking Raberba up from the floor.  
  
"No, it's not." Raberba shot back.  
  
Trowa shook his head, setting Raberba on his bunk. "Get some sleep, Raberba."  
  
Raberba said nothing in reply. He crawled under his blankets, laying with his back to Trowa. Without a word, he pulled the blankets up over his head, acting very mush like a spoiled brat. Trowa sighed . . . he hated thinking of Raberba like that . . . but he was acting like it. Shaking his head, Trowa left the bedroom, shutting off the light before he departed.  
  
*****  
  
Wufei checked in on Odin and Chibi-Duo. Both boys were clean and in their pajamas. Chibi-Duo was in bed, but Odin was looking up at Wufei with a hopeful expression. Wufei knelt down to be at eye-level with the boy.  
  
"Do you have something you wish to say?"  
  
Odin glanced at where Chibi-Duo was curled up, before turning back to face Wufei. "Sir . . . he didn't throw all that much, and he's never had dessert . . . can you let him have some ice cream?"  
  
Wufei blinked. "Did he . . . ?"  
  
Odin shook his head. "No . . . no, he tried to talk me out of asking, but . . . please?"  
  
Wufei walked over to the bed to see Chibi-Duo. "What do you think about this?"  
  
Chibi-Duo shrugged a little. "It doesn't matter that I didn't throw all that much. I wasted food, so I might've just as well thrown the whole plate. I deserve to be punished like the others."  
  
Wufei smiled warmly. "I am glad to see that you have a good sense of honesty. Your father should be very proud of you."  
  
Duo's voice spoke up from the doorway. "Damn straight I am . . . a tad disappointed, but proud." He walked in and sat beside the small boy. He smiled gently at Chibi-Duo before pulling the boy into his arms. "It's okay. I understand that you just wanted to do what the others were doing. That doesn't make wasting food right, though."  
  
Chibi-Duo nodded, wrapping his arms around Duo. "I know, Daddy. You ain't mad, are ya?"  
  
Duo shook his head. "No . . . I'm not." He tightened his embrace around Chibi-Duo briefly, then pulled away, a smile on his face. "Okay, time for bed."  
  
Chibi-Duo nodded, laying down again. Duo tenderly tucked the boy in, while Wufei tended to getting Odin into his own bed. Odin was quiet and obedient . . . Wufei had no troubles with getting him to lie down.  
  
Duo's voice was soft as he spoke to the child. "Do you want me to tell you a story tonight?" He asked, weaving his fingers through Chibi-Duo's hair.  
  
Chibi-Duo shook his head. "You should go to bed, Daddy. I don't want ya gettin' sicker."  
  
Wufei smiled at the boy's kindness. "None of us want that, my friend. You should listen to the young one. And you . . ." He said, turning his eyes to look at Odin. "You, should go to sleep." He ran a hand over Odin's hair.  
  
"Is . . . is Heero mad at me? Is that why he's not here?" Odin asked, his bottom lip trembling . . . although it was obvious that he was trying not to show his disappointment and hurt.  
  
Wufei shook his head. "No . . . he went to tuck Midii in. I saw him as I was on my way here. Do you want me to go and get him?"  
  
Odin nodded sadly and glanced over to where Duo was hugging Chibi-Duo. "Please, sir?"  
  
Wufei nodded and turned to the door. He walked to the room where Heero was tucking Midii in. "I shall finish tucking the young lady in, Yuy." Wufei said, approaching the girl's bedside. "At the moment, there is a little boy nearby who wants you there. Odin is of the opinion that you are so angry with him that you do not wish to be the one tucking him in."  
  
Heero seemed taken aback by that, but quickly shed his shocked expression for the usual neutral look in his eyes. "I hadn't thought of him seeing it that way. I only knew that if it were me who had been led away by J after an incident like tonight's, it would mean a harsh punishment for acting in a manner not suited for a soldier."  
  
Wufei sighed, shaking his head. "Yuy . . . Heero . . . you must remember two things. One . . . Odin is not you. Two . . . you are not J. Right now that little boy wants his big brother to give him a hug and tuck him into bed. He will rest more peacefully if he is not burdened with worry over how you are perceiving him."  
  
Relena smiled from where she was braiding Lena's hair. "Wufei is right, Heero. You've done so well with Midii, but Odin does need you now. They're all so young and still very confused."  
  
"Yes . . . I'll go see to Odin." Heero nodded.  
  
"Good night, Mr. Heero." Midii said, sitting up and hugging him quickly.  
  
Heero blinked, lightly hugging her in return. He still wasn't all that comfortable with such shows of affection. It was new to be touched like this. Carefully he extricated himself from the child's arms.  
  
"Goodnight." Lena giggled, smiling brightly at him.  
  
Heero nodded. "Good night." He said in a murmur, leaving the room.  
  
He nodded as he passed by Duo, who was exiting the bedroom Odin and Chibi-Duo occupied. With a yawn, Duo headed into the bedroom he and Heero were sharing, obviously going to ready himself for bed. Heero found that to be a good thing. He didn't want Duo to overexert himself, not when he was still in danger of becoming ill again. Duo had to take it easy for a couple of days.  
  
Taking a breath, Heero opened the door to the children's room, stepping inside. He saw that Chibi-Duo was already snugly tucked in, his eyes following Heero briefly before he closed them. Heero walked over and took a seat on the edge of Odin's bed, trying to think of the optimum way to open a conversation with the boy.  
  
It was Odin that began though. "Are you mad at me?" He asked.  
  
Heero blinked. He had never before seen so much emotion on the child's face. Maybe he was learning to be a normal child . . . Heero found that thought comforting. If Odin could so quickly assimilate into childhood, then he would have a better chance of being happy. Heero had no hopes for himself . . . but Odin could be normal.  
  
Placing a brief, fleeting smile on his face, Heero swept his hand through Odin's wild hair. "I am not angry with you." Heero stated. He took a moment to collect his thoughts and gather the correct terminology, then spoke again. "I am disappointed in your actions concerning tonight's meal. Wasting food is not acceptable. However, I hold no anger over your reactions to the situation."  
  
Odin's smile was small, but it was there. "That's good. I don't want you to be upset with me." He said, then averted his gaze. "I . . . I was wondering . . ."  
  
"Hm?" Heero was concerned. Was there something else that the boy wanted?  
  
When Odin spoke next, his voice was low, no more than a whisper. "Well . . . I saw Duo give Chibi-Duo a hug . . . I was wondering if maybe you could . . ."  
  
"You want me to hug you?" Heero inquired, arching an eyebrow.  
  
Odin nodded, a faint blush staining his cheeks. "Yes, please. I . . . I was comfortable when I was hugging you in the mall yesterday. I felt . . . safe."  
  
Heero nodded and smirked. "Yes, it was pleasant." He said, bending a little and pulling Odin into his arms. The child curled his little arms around Heero, pressing close to the teenager's body.  
  
Heero held Odin for a short while, tenderly brushing his fingers through the boy's soft hair. When Odin finally let go, Heero settled the child in bed, pulling the blankets up to cover him.  
  
"Go to sleep now." Heero said quietly. "I expect you to behave better at mealtimes from now on."  
  
"Yes sir." Odin nodded.  
  
Heero rose from his seat, turning and heading for the door. He paused there for a moment, looking back to watch as Odin snuggled closer to his pillow. Heero felt his lips twitch into a slight curve, but let the expression drop. He switched off the light, leaving the room and closing the door behind himself quietly.  
  
*****  
  
Wufei escorted Relena to her bedroom door, biding her a polite goodnight before he strode to his own bedroom, which he was sharing with Tian Bao. Quatre was just finishing with the bedding, getting things ready for Tian Bao.  
  
"Thank you. If you would excuse us . . ."  
  
Quatre nodded and headed for the door.  
  
As he passed by him, Wufei grasped his arm. "Winner . . . I wish to speak with you as well. I will join you in the hallway."  
  
Quatre's face broke into a rueful smile. "I can guess why. I'll wait." With that, Quatre left the room.  
  
Wufei walked over to sit on the floor and motioned for Tian Bao to sit facing him. When the child had complied, Wufei took a breath before speaking. "Tian Bao . . . I hope you've had time to think over your actions at dinner."  
  
Tian Bao nodded.  
  
"Very well . . . then I won't have to relate what happened. However, I must stress very strongly how your actions have brought dishonor to the Chang name. Not only because you started a fight, but because the fight began out of anger . . . and caused others to get into trouble. You showed a lack of pride in yourself and a lack of respect for others." He had always been told that the hardest job he'd ever have was one of a parent. He'd never believed it until now . . . and he was merely acting as an older brother.  
  
Wufei let the pause drag out for a moment. "No . . . as there are eight children present besides yourself, you will give your dessert to each child in turn before you may start having any, starting with Treize tomorrow night. That makes a total of nine days without dessert, counting tonight." He nodded in satisfaction as Tian Bao accepted the punishment. It wasn't truly that harsh, and it would teach the child to think of others before giving into selfish desires. "In addition . . . starting tomorrow morning, I will begin teaching you ways to channel your anger into more productive ways of expression. You must learn to control your temper, my little brother. I will not lie and say it will be an easy task for you . . . I remember what it was like to be your age. Do you understand?"  
  
Tian Bao nodded. "Yes, Wufei."  
  
Wufei smiled at the child. "Then come here." He held his arms open and hugged the little boy as he had seen Duo do with his own son. He had often wanted to be held as a child after a scolding, to be reassured that he was still loved. From the way that Tian Bao was acting, he could guess that the child expected to be told to go straight to bed. He smiled and picked the boy up. "Now . . . go to sleep."  
  
The boy did as he was told, climbing into bed and settling himself. Wufei tucked him in, smiling once more as he bid the child a good night's rest. Then he stepped over to the door, knowing that he had to speak with Quatre now. The blonde was leaning against the wall across from the door, a gentle smile on his face.  
  
"I like how you handled that, Wufei. You might want to have Tian Bao skip Raberba in that dessert thing, though. He was the one who really started it." Quatre shook his head, his smile fading. "I am sorry about him, and I won't make any excuses for his behavior."  
  
Wufei held up a hand. "Quatre . . . Raberba's attitude is a big problem, and his mood swings might frighten young Triton. Is there anything you can do?"  
  
Quatre shrugged and shook his head sadly. "All I can do is talk to him. He's understandably confused and hurting over the news of our father's death. But that doesn't make his behavior tonight right. He knows better than that. I'm just sorry that the other children had to be punished because of the situation . . . especially Chibi-Duo and Triton."  
  
Wufei felt his own pang of sadness when he remembered Odin's heartfelt plea. "On a lighter note, I believe that Odin is learning the meaning of friendship. The boy tried to talk me into letting Chibi-Duo have dessert."  
  
Quatre smiled a little. "That is good news." He sighed then, although kept the smile on his face. "I'd better go check on Raberba and make sure that Triton is all right. I'll speak with Raberba in the morning, Wufei. I don't want a repeat of tonight's incident any more than you do."  
  
Wufei nodded. "You will be well tonight?" He asked, concerned that his friend might have a panic attack, such as the one he had experienced in their shared quarters yesterday afternoon at Preventers HQ.  
  
Quatre's smile brightened. "I'll be fine, Wufei. I won't be alone tonight . . . the rooms were arranged so that no one but Relena is left alone in a room. Relena, being a guest in our home doesn't have to bunk up like the rest of us. Trowa will be enough company for me . . . as long as I am not alone, I will be fine."  
  
"Good. Sleep well, Winner." Wufei nodded.  
  
Quatre's smile only seemed to widen. "Thank you. Good night, Wufei."  
  
Wufei smirked in return, watching as Quatre turned and walked away from him. Then he turned and headed into his own room, deciding that he might as well ready himself for bed. There was no sense in staying up when he would likely need all the rest he could get tonight. Undoubtedly, teaching Tian Bao the aspects of controlling his temper and a few meditation techniques was only going to end in Wufei gaining a throbbing headache . . . he remembered how impatient he had been as a child . . . this was not going to be easy.  
  
*****  
  
Quatre felt a smile curling his lips as he quietly opened the bedroom door. He padded silently over to the bunk beds, first pulling aside the blanket that shielded Triton from view as he checked on the welfare of the children. Triton was sleeping soundly . . . his arms snugly wrapped around his stuffed bear.  
  
Giving into temptation, Quatre reached out and let his fingers stray across Triton's cheek, brushing away a wisp of hair from the child's eyes. Triton moaned lightly, a pale smile on his face as he turned toward Quatre's hand. If only the boy was so loving when awake, Quatre thought, letting his hand linger against Triton's face for a little while longer.  
  
Quatre pulled his hand away, straightening Triton's blankets out before he took a step back, letting the blanket acting as a wall fall shut again. Then Quatre turned his attention to Raberba.  
  
The boy was buried in his blankets, all of him covered. Quatre shook his head, knowing that the child was upset. He remembered all the times he had been angry or feeling hurt . . . covering himself totally with blankets had been his way of hiding himself from the world, a small escape for him. Obviously, Raberba was thinking the same way.  
  
Gently, Quatre tugged the blanket away from Raberba's head, making sure not to move too hastily in case the child was in between awake and sleeping. What he found only made him frown. Raberba's eyes were red from crying, his young face flushed with sadness. Quatre climbed up, sitting on the edge of Raberba's bed. He reached his hand out, stroking his fingers through Raberba's golden hair.  
  
Raberba's eyes fluttered open and he yawned, bringing his small hands up to rub across his face. He blinked when he saw Quatre, a sniffle and a whimper coming from him before he all but threw himself into Quatre's arms.  
  
"I'm sorry!" Raberba cried out in a slight voice. "I didn't mean to get everyone in trouble! I-I was just angry . . . you . . . you weren't eating the spinach!"  
  
Quatre closed his eyes, sighing in understanding. "It's all right, Raberba." Quatre hushed, stroking his hands in soothing circles. "I'm not truly angry with you . . . only a little disappointed in your behavior."  
  
Raberba sniffled, lifting his head, his aquamarine eyes shimmering with tears that he would only allow Quatre to see. "R-Really?"  
  
Quatre nodded. "I know I'm not your father . . . that you only wish to see me as a brother. But is that any reason to treat me with so little respect? Had you done as intended, I would have been hit with that spinach . . . and how would it have looked to the other children for you to do such a thing?"  
  
Raberba buried his face against Quatre's stomach. "Sorry." He said, his voice muffled. "I wasn't thinking. I just . . . I . . ."  
  
"I know, you were feeling hurt. Father isn't here to be with you . . . he isn't here. I'm sorry that I'm a pale comparison to him. But there is nothing I can do about this." Quatre whispered, bowing his head, a stray tear falling from his eye.  
  
"T-Trowa said you saw it happen. Did you? Did you see Father die?" Raberba asked.  
  
Quatre gulped, a painful lump forming in his throat. "Y-yes." He shuddered. "The satellite exploded with him on it. He destroyed himself for the good of the people. I couldn't stop him."  
  
"What happened after that?"  
  
Quatre screwed his eyes shut. "I did horrible things in my grief, Raberba . . . terrible things." He whispered, stroking his fingers through Raberba's hair again. "I built a weapon, a powerful weapon that warped my mind. I lost sense of myself . . . of what I was doing . . . I nearly killed someone dear to me. And I . . . I destroyed a colony. I cannot blame this on some machine that I built . . . it was my doing, my hands that are tainted with blood. I should have let Heero kill me."  
  
"No." Raberba said sharply, digging his fingers into Quatre's sides. "You're real nice. I never met anyone so kind. If you had died . . . who'd be takin' care of me? I don't want you to be dead." He whimpered, his voice becoming difficult to understand through his tears.  
  
"Have no fears, Raberba." Quatre said, hugging the child to him. "I have no intentions of leaving you any time soon." He sighed as Raberba clung to him, feeling the gentle sobs that wracked his little body so greatly. "I'm here for you . . . I'll take care of you. Just, please . . . don't do anything like start a food fight again. I hate punishing you . . . any of you children. But next time, you'll have to do more to make up for it than to just go to bed without supper."  
  
"Okay. I'll be better . . . promise." Raberba sniffled, curling close to Quatre's body. "C-Can you stay here awhile? J-Just until I fall asleep?"  
  
Quatre smiled. "Of course I can. You just lie down and get some sleep now." Quatre said, urging Raberba to get back under his blankets. Then he settled himself alongside the child, smiling to himself as Raberba snuggled closer to him, his head against Quatre's chest.  
  
Quatre lay there, content to stay there as long as needed. He wove his fingers through Raberba's soft hair, lightly humming to soothe the boy. Once Raberba was deep in sleep, Quatre quietly slipped from the bed. He watched as Raberba turned and wrapped his arms around that giant stuffed dog, smiling as the child sought comfort with the holding of a favorite toy.   
  
Quatre hoped that he was doing the right thing by leaving now. He hoped that nothing would disturb Raberba's slumber tonight. With a sigh, Quatre adjusted the blankets to cover Raberba better. Then he turned and walked to the door, casting one last glance at the slumbering children within before he headed to his own bedroom.  
  
To Be Continued . . . 


	28. Part TwentyEight

Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.  
  
Notes: Tian Bao wakes up and feels he must apologize to the other children. After a happy midnight snack, an unfortunate event happens and one of the children is put in danger.  
  
Young Hearts  
  
Part Twenty-Eight  
  
Tian Bao tried to fall asleep. He was tired and still a little upset, but there was just something keeping him awake. He sat up and glanced over to Wufei. The older boy was sound asleep, which gave Tian Bao a chance to think. 'It isn't because I got into trouble . . . it's because my actions caused the others to get into trouble. I hafta make it up to them. I don't want to make it up to Treize because he's not all that nice, but I gotta make it up to Chibi-Duo and the others.' He nodded to himself, knowing what he had to do now. With that decided, he slipped from the bed silently. 'Wufei'll probably think I just have to go to the bathroom.'  
  
His first stop was at the girls' room. He quietly opened the door and stepped inside. He walked over and gave Lena a shake. "Hey."  
  
Lena mumbled something, burying her face deeper into her pillow. Tian Bao shook her again. She frowned as she opened her eyes.  
  
"What do you want?" She asked in a quiet whisper. "If they catch you, you'll be in even more trouble."  
  
Tian Bao nodded. "I know, and I'll accept any punishment, but I don't think you or the others should be punished because of me. Will you wake Midii up? I'll go get Milliardo. If someone catches us, I'll take all the blame." He turned and didn't wait for Lena to respond. Tian Bao repeated the action in each of the rooms, going into Raberba and Triton's room last.  
  
He hadn't really wanted to wake Raberba up since the little blonde had been the one to start the fight . . . but he decided that it would be better if Triton's roommate were the one to wake him. He had seen how scared Triton got . . . and felt that maybe the boy would have a little more trust with the one he shared a room with. And since Raberba was now awake, it would have been mean to tell him that he couldn't come too.  
  
Once Triton was awake, the three of them joined the rest of the children in the hallway.  
  
Chibi-Duo was still rubbing his eyes and yawning. He blinked at Tian Bao, his face contorted in a look of confusion. "Why are ya draggin' all of us outta bed? We're gonna get into trouble again."  
  
Tian Bao shook his head. "I intend to take all the blame. It isn't fair that you all get punished for something that I helped to start . . ." He spared a glance at Raberba, but said nothing about his part in the food fight. "So I decided that we should raid the kitchen." He nodded. The plan made perfect sense to him. "If we get caught, I'll take any and all punishment." He took a breath and turned to the stairs. "C'mon."  
  
*****  
  
Duo's eyes snapped open . . . old habits he'd picked up on the street when he was a kid. He sat up and looked to the door. He could hear the kids - faintly - and tried to listen to see if he could discover why they were up and what they were talking about. He heard Tian Bao say something about taking any punishment and smiled if only to himself. 'That kid . . . has a good heart. Well, I might as well play devil's advocate.' He hopped out of bed, shaking his head.  
  
"Duo? What is it?" Heero asked from the other bed in the room. He sounded tired . . . probably hadn't even heard the kids talking out in the hall.  
  
Duo turned to Heero and shook his head. "Nothing. Go back to sleep." He smiled as Heero closed his eyes. 'God . . . the way he trusts me and my word . . .' He sighed and put his robe and slippers on before leaving the bedroom. There was no sense in making himself worse. He glanced out a window and smiled at the scene.  
  
It had begun snowing again. The sight of the gentle flakes falling in the dark of the night gave the scenery an unearthly quality. It was as if the very stars were raining upon the ground.  
  
Duo followed the sound of the children's voices to the kitchen and smiled when he looked into the room. The kids were trying to reach the ice cream in the freezer. Without missing a beat, Duo flipped the light switch, flooding the room with light. He bit his bottom lip to keep from laughing as the children all spun to face him in unison.  
  
"Here . . . let me get it for you." Duo smiled, casually strolling over to the freezer.  
  
Chibi-Duo looked worried. "You . . . you're not mad at us, Daddy?" He asked with a timid voice.  
  
Duo smiled down at Chibi-Duo and shook his head. "No . . . I overheard you kids talking in the hallway, and I know it's Tian Bao's idea. I'm not mad at Tian Bao, because I think it's a very thoughtful thing to do. So . . . let's get you all some ice cream and we can lounge out in the living room . . . a sort of slumber party." He set the various flavors of ice cream on the counter, and got the bowls and spoons, as well as the scoop.  
  
Raberba blinked. "But . . . we're supposed to be punished."  
  
Duo sighed. "That you are . . . but it's a little after midnight, so technically, it's tomorrow." He winked at Raberba. "All punishments for earlier are considered null and void. Although I am curious as to why you're all up."  
  
Tian Bao raised his hand. "I woke them. I couldn't sleep after Wufei talked to me earlier."  
  
Duo nodded. "Okay. So, what flavors do you kids want? Looks like Heero bought a lot of different kinds."  
  
"I don't want any, sir." Tian Bao said. "I just want the others to have dessert. Wufei says I'm to give my dessert to each of the others in turn starting with tonight's dinner."  
  
"Ah, a second punishment . . . probably because you did throw that spoonful at Treize to begin the full-out food war." Duo commented. "Okay then, why don't you go get some blankets from the hall closet and bring them down to the living room so we can all be comfy?"  
  
Tian Bao smiled and nodded. "Yes, sir." He smirked, then ran off to do the task assigned to him.  
  
With Tian Bao busy, Duo returned his attention to the other children. "So, what'll it be?"  
  
"Can I have vanilla . . . please?" Odin asked politely.  
  
Duo fought the chuckle that wanted to creep out. Of course, what other flavor would Heero's clone want? He shook his head, scooping up some vanilla ice cream for Odin. He handed the bowl to the boy, smiling when he got a thank you in return.  
  
"What's this one?" Chibi-Duo asked, pointing to one of the boxes.  
  
"That . . . that is Cookies and Cream. You want it?"  
  
"Yeah . . . I like cookies." Chibi-Duo responded, smiling brightly when he was handed his bowl. He and Odin scampered out to the living room.  
  
Duo chuckled and continued dishing out the ice cream as the children asked for it. When he finally got to Raberba, he was pleased to note that the child looked uncomfortable. "And what flavor would you like?" Duo asked.  
  
Raberba bit his bottom lip and sighed. "I really shouldn't have any. I was really the one who started the food fight."  
  
Duo smiled warmly and knelt to be eye-level with the little blonde. He could so easily see Quatre in the child . . . well, when he was being nice anyway. "Perhaps, but did Quatre say that you couldn't have any dessert beyond earlier?"  
  
Raberba frowned. "No . . ."  
  
Duo nodded in understanding. "If you want to, you can give your ice cream to someone else."  
  
Raberba flushed, shyly ducking his head a little. "Yeah . . ." He suddenly smiled and turned to look at Triton. "I'll let you have my share since I know I upset you earlier."  
  
Triton blinked at Raberba and then turned to Duo in silent askance. His expression was clearly asking if it was really all right.  
  
Duo smiled warmly at the nervous boy who was slowly starting to come out of his shell. "I think that's a fine idea. Well, Triton, pick a flavor." He said, rising to his feet.  
  
Triton blinked at the cartons set out on the counter, where there were plenty of flavors to choose from available to him. However, he turned back to Duo and shrugged.  
  
"Don't know? Hmm . . . do you want me to pick?" Duo turned back to look at the counter when Triton nodded. Upon a sudden flash of inspiration, Duo pulled out the strawberry. 'It has real fruit in it . . . which will be good for Triton.' He gave Triton two scoops, since Raberba had forfeited his own ice cream. When he handed the bowl and spoon to Triton, he felt a warmth inside himself as the child smiled shyly at him before heading into the living room.  
  
Duo looked at the ice cream longingly, but opted for one of the fruitcicles instead. Milk was not good for someone who had a cold. Once all the ice cream was put away, he headed into the living room where Tian Bao was finishing the setup. Duo fought another laugh when he spotted Chibi-Duo and Odin sharing their ice cream with one another. It was such a sweet sight that he wished he had a camera on him.  
  
With a smile firmly planted on his face, Duo walked over and took a seat on the floor next to Odin and Chibi-Duo. He looked around at the kids as he ate his fruitcicle, taking note that all of them were pretty much gathered together in front of the sofa, sitting in little groups together. Lena and Midii were giggling about something or other. Milliardo and Treize were conversing. Triton of course was off sitting in a corner as far away as he could get while still being in eyesight of everyone. Raberba was sighing and rubbing his eyes tiredly. And Tian Bao was running around making sure that everyone else was comfortable, before he settled himself on the floor with a blanket as well.  
  
One by one each of the kids finished their ice cream. Duo watched as they each grew more and more tired. "Okay, kids . . . I think you should all get some sleep. Go on and lie down . . . don't worry about getting in trouble or nothing . . . you have me to stand up for you."  
  
Midii and Lena gave Duo a smile, then settled down next to one another, cuddling close. Triton said nothing as he lay down, dragging his blanket up and over his body as he curled in on himself. Raberba grabbed a blanket and all but dropped to the floor, turning his back to Duo. Treize and Milliardo put up no arguments . . . probably too tired to . . . as they turned away from each other to sleep back to back next to each other.  
  
"Daddy? You gonna go to sleep too?" Chibi-Duo asked, his eyes barely open as he regarded Duo.  
  
Duo smiled, brushing a hand through the boy's hair. "Yeah, sure." He said, pushing the empty ice cream bowls aside as he lay down. On either side of his body, Odin and Chibi-Duo curled close. Duo had to smile at the affection Odin was showing . . . who knew the kid could be such a sweetheart. He let out a happy sigh as he brought the blankets up over the three of them, wrapping his arms around the children sleeping beside him. It wasn't long before all of them fell into a slumber.  
  
*****  
  
Heero woke up and yawned. He sat up in bed, frowning as he looked around the room. Something was off. It didn't take him long to realize what it was.  
  
Duo wasn't in the room. 'Where is he? He shouldn't be out of bed . . . he could get worse.' Heero got out of bed and headed for the door, wiping his hand across his face wearily. He remembered Duo mentioning that nothing was wrong, but that didn't mean that nothing was happening. With a sigh, he headed downstairs, only to stop dead in his tracks when he reached the living room. He chuckled then and shook his head when he saw the scene before him. The children were scattered across the floor, and Duo was right in the center, with Odin and Chibi-Duo curled up against him.  
  
Heero decided not to wake Duo, since Duo WAS resting. Instead, he went and checked on all of the children, pleased to see they all seemed happy. Of course . . . the presence of empty bowls clued him in to why they seemed so pleased. He smiled to himself when he checked on Raberba, finding the sour-dispositioned boy to be sucking his thumb in his sleep. It was cute . . . something the child would most likely deny doing had he been awake.  
  
He was about to head back upstairs when a faint whimper drew his attention. Frowning in concern, Heero walked over to the source of the noise, only to be startled when he saw that it was Triton. The boy was awake, if only barely, and looking miserable. From the sounds of it, he was having a hard time breathing. And he was also a pasty white color. Heero took stock of the situation, noting the half-eaten bowl of strawberry ice cream beside the boy. He knelt down beside the child, who seemed to shrink back.  
  
"Triton . . . I'm going to take you to Trowa. I don't know what's wrong, and he'll probably be able to help make you better, okay?"  
  
Triton nodded, as if the prospect of getting better had overridden any fear he had of anyone.  
  
Being careful not to make any sudden moves, Heero lifted the boy into his arms. His sense of alarm went up another few notches when he felt how feverish the child was. He quickly, but carefully, ran up the stairs. He would have to let Duo know that Triton was with Trowa when Duo woke up. He didn't see the sense of waking Duo at the moment. The braided youth desperately needed all the sleep he could get if he was expected to continue to recover his health.  
  
He entered Trowa and Quatre's shared bedroom without knocking. "Trowa? Trowa!" He carried the child over.  
  
Trowa bolted into a sitting position, instantly aware. It was most likely an instinct honed during the wars, or perhaps during the time when he had been a mercenary. Quatre was a little more slow to awake, but when he did his expression turned into one of deep concern. He moved out of his bed, approaching Heero but not getting too close.  
  
"What is it?" Trowa asked, swinging his legs over the side of his bed and rising to his feet. "What's happened?" His gaze shifted to Triton, his eyes widening in alarm. "What happened?" He held his arms out.  
  
Heero placed the boy in Trowa's arms and shook his head. "I don't know. I went downstairs to look for Duo, and found him and all the kids sleeping in the living room. I found Triton like this."  
  
Trowa frowned as he rubbed Triton's back with one hand, moving back to his bed. He sat down with Triton in his arms, holding the whimpering child with great care. "Sshh . . . calm down. Panicking will only make things worse." He said quietly, trying to soothe the terribly ill boy. He turned his gaze back to Heero. "The only thing I can think of that would cause this to happen would be if he ate strawberries. I'm severely allergic to them . . . although I don't think I've ever had a reaction quite this bad."  
  
Heero nodded. "Ice cream. There was a bowl on the floor with some strawberry ice cream near to where I found him." Heero stood aside as Quatre wordlessly dashed out of the room.  
  
Trowa blinked. "Ice cream? Why would he be eating ice cream?"  
  
Heero chuckled. "Trowa . . . we're talking about Duo. You know he has a soft spot when it comes to the kids . . . to any kids for that matter. He'll feel terrible when he finds out that Triton got sick."  
  
Quatre came back into the room, breathing heavily. He had probably run to get to a phone, then did the same on the way back. "I called Sally. She was still at headquarters. She'll be here as soon as she can . . . she said she's going to take one of the emergency vehicles."  
  
Triton shivered in Trowa's arms, his pale face becoming blotchy with the beginnings of a rash. He was obviously fighting to stay awake, his eyes just barely cracked open. He whimpered almost constantly . . . he looked so ill. Heero was worried, and it was obvious that both Quatre and Trowa were concerned for the boy as well.  
  
Trowa slid his hand along Triton's face, frowning deeply. He gently opened the boy's mouth, his expression only darkening. "I hope she gets here quickly. His tongue is swelling . . . if it closes off his airway, I'll have to take matters into my own hands."  
  
Heero nodded, understanding completely. After all . . . he would do the same for Odin if he had been the one in this condition.  
  
To Be Continued . . .  
  
Note: Allergies vary from person to person . . . so please don't fault me for the symptoms Triton has if you don't find it plausible. These are the symptoms I have whenever I eat certain squashes. 


	29. Part TwentyNine

Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.  
  
Notes: Duo wakes up to find Triton missing and worriedly goes off in search of the boy. Then the guys have to deal with the clones' reactions to the events unfolding.   
  
Young Hearts  
  
Part Twenty-Nine  
  
Duo blinked his eyes open. He was thirsty and he had to go to the bathroom. Being careful, he slid himself out of the blankets that provided a bed for him and the two children that had curled up against him. He turned and smiled warmly when he watched Chibi-Duo and Odin cuddle closer to each other, seeking warmth with each other now that Duo wasn't between them. 'God, what I wouldn't give to do that with Heero . . .' He sighed wistfully and took stock of the children. He had to adjust the blankets on some of them, but for the most part they seemed peaceful.  
  
When he went to check on Triton though, he was alarmed to see that the boy wasn't there. 'Where could he have gone?' After a cursory search, he concluded that Triton couldn't have gone out the front door. The safety latch was still on. However, after heading toward the back, he noticed that the sliding doors leading to the pool hadn't been locked. 'Better check . . . just to make sure.' He thought, nodding his head slightly.  
  
Duo wrapped his robe around himself tighter to keep in as much warmth as possible. He stepped outside and walked over to the pool, shivering in the chill air as snowflakes lightly fell around him. He nodded in satisfaction when he saw that Triton wasn't anywhere around the pool area. 'Which means that he's somewhere in the house.' He turned to head inside, but the snow had made the pool deck slippery and he must have moved too quickly.  
  
He let out a yelp of alarm and pain as he fell backwards into the frigid, icy water, hitting his leg on the edge of the pool as he tumbled.  
  
*****  
  
Heero was watching Trowa trying to calm Triton, when he heard a cry from outside, followed by a loud splash. His head jerked in response, and felt his heart freeze in his chest when he realized that the voice he had heard was too old to belong to one of the kids.  
  
Quatre gasped. "What was that?" He asked, a tone of concern in his voice.  
  
Heero suddenly cursed himself. "Dammit! I should have woken Duo up!" He was out of the room in a shot, pausing only to grab a blanket.  
  
He ran downstairs and past the children who were beginning to stir due to the noise from outside. 'I should have come downstairs to tell him that Triton is upstairs with Trowa. I should have KNOWN he would sense something was off.' Heero thought to himself, feeling nothing but guilt over his lack of foresight.  
  
Heero was outside in no time, and was being extremely careful walking on the pool deck. His heart wrenched when he saw Duo shivering and struggling to get onto the deck. His lips were purple . . . his skin so very pale and looking about ready to turn blue.  
  
"Duo!" Heero quickly made his way over to his best friend and partner, lending a hand in pulling Duo from the icy water. "Are you all right?"  
  
Duo wasn't shivering . . . a sign that made Heero worry immensely. Duo opened his mouth, faltering a number of times before he stopped trying to talk and managed a quick head shake in response to Heero's question.  
  
Heero hastily tugged the clothes off of Duo and wrapped him in the blanket he had brought with him, even as the snow fell upon them. He felt a pang of worry when he noticed that one of Duo's legs was bent in an unnatural angle . . . he must have broken it when he fell.  
  
"Easy . . . I've got you." Heero said, pulling Duo's chill body into his arms as carefully as he could manage. "Whatever were you doing out here?" Heero asked, although he had a nagging suspicion that he already knew the answer.  
  
Duo whimpered and curled into the blankets. "I c-c-couldn't f-find T-T-Triton."  
  
Heero shook his head. "Triton is upstairs with Trowa. He had an allergic reaction to the strawberry ice cream." He saw Duo's eyes go wide, and smiled a little, if only to calm his friend. "Don't worry. You didn't know . . . you had no way of knowing of Triton's allergy. I wouldn't have known of it myself if Trowa hadn't said anything. We called Sally and she's on her way. Good thing, too. Not only can she help Triton, but she can also give you a look over." He swept Duo up and forced himself to ignore the pang of longing caused by simply holding Duo in his arms.  
  
"G-g-g-great!" He stammered horribly.  
  
Heero chuckled and headed into the house. He was moving toward the staircase when he heard the siren approaching, the flashing of red lights filling the room. He stopped dead in his tracks, looking toward the front door when the knocking began.  
  
He moved swiftly over to the door, carefully pushing past frightened children. He was relieved that Duo had enough control of his body to unlock the door. Heero nodded grimly as Sally entered the house, looking out of breath, as if she had actually run here instead of using the vehicle she had procured from Preventers Headquarters.  
  
Sally blinked, stopping short when she saw Duo's condition. "Heero . . . get Duo as warmed as possible while I go tend to Triton. And be careful with that leg . . . don't jar him too much."  
  
"Yes, of course." Heero nodded as he and Sally headed for the stairs.  
  
Sally took a moment to reassure the children, and to tell them to stay down in the living room. Despite a few arguments, they did as they were told. Chibi-Duo was already crying in worry, all but clinging to Odin's little body. He was probably terrified for Duo's health . . . worried that he would be abandoned should something happen to his daddy.  
  
Satisfied that the children would be okay for the time being, Heero ran up the stairs. Duo let out pained little whimpers that tore at Heero's heart to hear . . . but at least Duo had begun shivering, and that was a small consolation to him. Duo's body was trying to warm itself, and that was a very good thing.  
  
Heero paused in the hall when he saw Relena and Wufei step out of their rooms. Without wasting a moment to listen to whatever questions ran through their minds, Heero spoke. "Relena . . . go downstairs and keep the children calm. Wufei . . . come with me. You'll both get explanations later. I'm sorry, but I just don't have the time right now." With that said, he stepped into the room that he and Duo shared.  
  
Carefully, Heero eased Duo onto the bed, wincing as Duo hissed in pain. "I know, Duo . . . hang in there." He said in an attempt to be reassuring. "Sally will come and help soon." He covered Duo with as many blankets as he could. Then, he started taking off his own clothes. He was suddenly really glad that Duo had a full-sized mattress.  
  
Wufei's voice was mildly incredulous. "Is there a reason as to why you're undressing yourself, Yuy?"  
  
Heero continued to remove his clothing. "My clothes are wet from carrying Duo. He fell in the pool while looking for one of the children. Besides, it will be more effective to warm him if there are no restrictions between us . . . skin to skin will warm him faster." He glanced at Wufei. "Well?"  
  
From where he was lying in bed, shivering badly, Duo spoke up. "Y-y-yah, Wu . . . c'mon and s-strip."  
  
Wufei rolled his eyes and removed his pajama top. He stopped when he saw that Duo had a wan smile on his face. "What?"  
  
Duo's speech came out in little stutters, but he was clear as he spoke. "D-d-do a little d-dance while you're a-at it. Y-you know . . . p-put on a sh-show for me."  
  
Wufei shook his head and chuckled warmly at his friend. "Only you, Duo Maxwell, would make a comment like that when you're on the verge of freezing."  
  
"Awww . . . d-d-does this mean I d-don't g-get my strip t-tease?"  
  
"Not today, my friend." Wufei said with a sigh. Duo opened his mouth, probably to make another wisecrack, but Wufei cut him off. "And not when you are well again either."  
  
Duo stuck out his tongue and gave Wufei a weak glare.  
  
Heero said nothing about their teasing. He merely climbed into bed and under the blankets, sliding his body up along Duo's back. He shivered at the contact with Duo's icy skin, fearing for the other youth's health. This would undoubtedly cause Duo to become sick . . . actually he was already sick, this would just make matters worse.  
  
Wufei lifted the blankets in front of Duo, awkwardly settling himself in front of the chill youth. He took in a sharp breath as Duo leaned closer, probably affected by Duo's lack of heat just as Heero had been.  
  
"Be careful of his legs . . . one of them is broken." Heero advised, adjusting the blankets so that Duo was more thoroughly covered. He didn't want Duo to be caused any more discomfort. The condition he was already in was bad enough.  
  
*****  
  
Sally sighed as she pulled the syringe from Triton's skin. Poor little boy, she thought, running her hand along his face. The allergic reaction had been a bad one. He would feel the effects for days to come probably. That rash alone would take some time to clear up.  
  
"It'll be okay now, Triton." She said, trying to offer him some form of reassurance. "That injection I gave you will make you feel better very soon."  
  
Triton whimpered, but nodded. He turned closer to Trowa, pressing his head against the older youth's body, digging his tiny fingers into Trowa's clothing.  
  
Trowa looked up at Sally with a grim expression on his young face. "Why was it so bad, Sally? I've had allergic reactions before . . . but never like this."  
  
Sally sighed, rubbing her temples. "Trowa, you have to understand that these children don't have the immune systems of normal children. Think of it as if they have a clean slate, so to speak. Illness will hit them harder than most children . . . and will take longer to recover from. I took a look at J's logs . . . actually, that's all I've been doing for the past two days . . . and it seems that J had just begun to strengthen their immunities. Chibi-Duo, for example, has the same immunities to illness that Duo has, yet if he were to get a cold, it could potentially turn into pneumonia for the simple fact that his body is not prepared for that. It's the same for the rest of the clones. Whatever you aren't immune to will cause serious repercussions . . . Triton is very lucky to be alive."  
  
In Trowa's arms, the boy shuddered, clinging to Trowa. Trowa ran his hands along the boy's back, whispering soothing words. "You'll be okay, Triton. You'll get better." He said, then looked up at Sally with a hopeful expression. "He will, right?"  
  
Sally smiled. "Of course he will. It will just take some time. His body was just put under a great deal of stress . . . it will take him a couple of days, at least, to recover from it. Give him plenty of fluids, keep him in bed, and make sure he gets a lot of rest."  
  
"Yes, of course." Trowa responded.  
  
Packing up her supplies, Sally looked over to Quatre. "I hope you don't mind if I stay tonight? It's getting rather late, and if Duo's condition is as bad as I think it is, I'd like to stay here to keep an eye on him for a few days."  
  
"By all means." Quatre answered quickly. "There's a spare bed in the guest room Miss Relena is using . . . if you don't mind having a room mate. I'm sure other arrangements can be made if you don't."  
  
Sally held up a hand to stop Quatre's rambling. "I'll be fine rooming with Relena." She said, seeing that the blonde was worried. "Why don't you go downstairs and tell those boys and girls that everything's going to be okay? I'm certain they're worried . . . and Relena could probably use a hand keeping watch over them."  
  
Quatre nodded eagerly. He swept past Sally and out the door, casting a sad glance back at Triton before he left the bedroom.  
  
"If you'll excuse me, Trowa . . . I'm going to check on my other patient now." Sally smiled, brushing a hand through Triton's soft hair, taking note that the child was resting comfortably now. Poor little thing was probably exhausted after that scare.  
  
*****  
  
Quatre felt a stab at his heart as he stepped into the living room. All of the children were terrified . . . he could feel it. Although not all of them showed it outwardly, it was there in their hearts. They were worried for Duo and Triton, concerned that something bad was happening.  
  
Quatre's eyes scanned the room, taking stock of the situation. Milliardo was sitting with his sister, a comforting arm wrapped around her little shoulders. He was being brave, Quatre could see that, acting as the strong one so that Lena would feel secure. Treize and Midii were sitting on one of the sofas, along with Tian Bao. For the first time, the boys were getting along . . . probably too lost in worries to put up arguments with each other. Raberba was by himself, as usual . . . but the broken hearted expression on his face was enough to bring a choked sob to Quatre's throat. He hated to see any child suffer, least of all his own little brother.  
  
And then Quatre saw Chibi-Duo, and his resolve broke completely . . . tears escaped his eyes at the sight of the long-haired child. Chibi-Duo was sobbing wholeheartedly, clinging to Relena as if in desperation. Odin was standing there next to them, although the boy looked terribly confused and nervous, unsure of what he should do.  
  
A little hand tugged on Quatre's arm and he looked down, forcing a smile on his face as he regarded his little brother. He didn't want to further upset the child.  
  
"It's my fault, isn't it?" Raberba asked, his eyes shimmering. "I didn't think I should have any ice cream . . . it wasn't right that I have any. And Mr. Duo said I could give my ice cream to Triton . . . and I did . . . and he got sick. I'm sorry!"  
  
Quatre dropped to his knees, engulfing the little blonde in his arms. "Sshh . . . it's not your fault, Raberba." He said, feeling as the boy clung to him. "Triton is allergic to strawberries . . . none of us knew that before tonight. You aren't to blame."  
  
Raberba sniffled softly, burying his face against Quatre's shoulder. "I didn't mean to hurt him." He cried, digging his fingers into Quatre's body. "I was trying to be good. Really I was."  
  
Quatre sighed, holding the little boy close. "You didn't do anything wrong, I swear it." Quatre said, trying to be reassuring. "Triton is going to be okay. He's a little sick now, but he'll get better. I'm very proud of you for not accepting the ice cream . . . even though Triton got sick. It was very mature of you to decline that tempting offer."  
  
"Really? You're not mad?" Raberba asked, sniffling as he pulled himself away. He rubbed his hand across his nose, his eyes teary and full of fear and regret as he regarded Quatre.  
  
Quatre smiled softly, running his fingers through Raberba's disheveled hair. "No, I'm not mad. I can't say that I'm happy you and the other kids got up in the middle of the night to get ice cream . . . but, I am not mad at you for what happened with Triton and Duo. There's no way you could have known what was going to happen."  
  
A wavering smile curled Raberba's mouth, only to falter a moment later. Without words, Raberba moved closer to Quatre, curling his small arms around the older blonde's neck. Quatre returned the embrace, seeing that the child was in need of comfort. Laying his head against the top of Raberba's head, Quatre let out a sigh . . . he hoped that everything would turn out well.  
  
*****  
  
Duo had to bite into his lip to keep from screaming as Sally set his broken leg. It hurt like a bitch, but he wouldn't cry out. No . . . the children would hear it if he screamed, and he didn't want to scare them, to cause them any worry. He'd be fine . . . they didn't need the stress of worrying about him.  
  
Heero and Wufei held him still as Sally began to bind the injury. He vaguely heard as Sally went on about casts . . . but didn't have the will to listen to her. He was tired, so very tired.  
  
A hand on his forehead briefly brought Duo from his weariness. He blinked, finding himself staring into Sally's concerned gaze. Hadn't she been patching up his leg? He didn't remember her stopping.  
  
Feeling too weary to care, Duo put up with her prodding, taking a thermometer into his mouth as she checked his vitals. Was it his imagination, or had it gotten unbearably warm in here?  
  
Duo closed his eyes, distantly aware of the thermometer being pulled from his mouth. He heard a sigh, but couldn't keep his eyes open any longer. His only thought at the moment was for Chibi-Duo . . . he hoped the boy wasn't worrying too much about him.  
  
And then there was nothing more than the darkness. Unconsciousness had been much too sweet a temptation for him to resist any longer.  
  
To Be Continued . . . 


	30. Part Thirty

Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.  
  
Notes: Sally takes care of Duo. Relena and Quatre take care of the children.  
  
Young Hearts  
  
Part Thirty  
  
Heero watched Sally as the doctor finished her examinations. "Well? How bad is it?" Heero asked, feeling nothing but concern for the young man that he and Wufei held so carefully in their arms.  
  
Sally let out a long breath, closing her eyes if only briefly. "He's set himself back, that's for sure. You did say he had a slight cold?"  
  
Heero nodded and rubbed Duo's chilled shoulder, delicately bringing the blanket up to cover his exposed skin. "He was almost over it too."  
  
Sally shook her head. "Well . . . that little tumble undid all of his hard work. I'm going to leave some extra strength cold medicine here on the table. He'll actually feel sicker than he really is." She smiled fondly at Duo. "Just keep a cool compress on his head for the fever he's going to have, see to it that he takes his medicine, keep him in bed and off that leg . . . he should be fine in about a week or so."  
  
Heero frowned at the bottle as Sally set it on the table beside the bed. "That medicine will make him drowsy. He'll hate taking it."  
  
Wufei spoke up from Duo's other side. "He'll take it though. He has a very good reason to get well as quickly as possible."  
  
Heero let his mouth quirk into a grin as he nodded. "True . . . I hope Relena is successful in calming Chibi-Duo. That poor kid was near hysterical."  
  
"I'll go down and check on him." Sally volunteered, sighing. "I might as well get the children trusting me now . . . I'm probably going to have all of them as patients within the next few days. Even if Duo is kept in this room away from the children . . . one of them is bound to catch his cold . . . and if one of them does, then all of them will have it."  
  
She smiled and ran a hand through Duo's hair. "You two stay where you are and keep him warm. If . . . or should I say when . . . he wakes up, come and get me. If I'm not downstairs, I'll be bunking in with Relena. And please, try to get some rest yourselves . . . I don't need an entire house full of sick people."  
  
Heero nodded, not knowing what to say. He watched as Sally left the room, then turned to Wufei and gave him a silent nod. They would sleep in shifts . . . with Wufei resting first. Heero didn't want to relinquish his watch over Duo just yet.  
  
*****  
  
Relena cradled Chibi-Duo as the boy sobbed against her. Odin was sitting nearby, looking at his friend worriedly. "There, there, Chibi-Duo. Everything will be all right." She rubbed gentle circles against the boy's back, trying to offer him comfort.  
  
"My daddy's g-gonna die!" Chibi-Duo wailed, clutching tightly to Relena's nightgown. "He's gonna d-die an' I'll be sent b-back an' no one else'll want me!"  
  
Relena knew better than to make light of Duo's illness. She remembered how confused she had felt when she had learned that she was actually the orphaned daughter of the Peacecraft family, that those she had thought were her family were not. She remembered how she had clung to her adoptive mother and cried that Mrs. Dorlian would always be her REAL mother. She understood Chibi-Duo's fear . . . his worries of abandonment.  
  
She took on a soothing tone as she spoke to the distressed child. "Duo is not going to die." She said, certain of that in her own heart. Even if she didn't know what was going on, she was sure that he would be well. "He's sick, yes . . . but he won't die. Sally is an excellent doctor and she's helped Duo and the others many times." Relena decided to address the child's other fear at the same time.  
  
"And even if he was deathly ill, which he is not, you would not be sent to an orphanage." She smiled warmly as Chibi-Duo raised teary eyes to regard her. "Heero would willingly take you in. Then there's Quatre . . . and Trowa and Wufei. And even if something happened to all of them, I would adopt you without hesitation. Then of course you have all of Quatre's sisters and the Maguanac. Right, Quatre?"  
  
Quatre walked over, cradling a half asleep Raberba in his arms. "Of course. With my family alone, the Maguanac included, you have almost seventy people who would love to take in a bright boy like you."  
  
Relena smiled at the boy who, though still weeping, seemed calmer. "You see? You are very wanted by everyone here." She gently kissed the top of Chibi-Duo's head. "But it's a moot point, since Duo will be fine. You'll see."  
  
"I hope so." Chibi-Duo sniffled, wiping at his eyes as he curled himself up against Relena's body. He yawned widely, continuing to rub at his eyes.  
  
"I think you should get some rest, Chibi-Duo." Relena commented, then took a look around the room, and the children gathered within it. "Actually, I think all of these children should be put to bed." She smiled faintly, looking at each of the boys and girls in turn. The ones that weren't already asleep wouldn't be able to stay awake much longer.  
  
"I completely agree with you." Said the familiar voice of Sally Po. Relena looked up, watching as the doctor entered the room.  
  
"Ah, how is Duo? And Triton? I heard from Quatre that he had an allergic reaction." Relena said, feeling as Chibi-Duo turned in her arms to look at Sally with keen interest.  
  
"Yes, Triton had an unfortunate reaction to some strawberry ice cream . . . but he'll make a full recovery. And I can safely say the same thing for Duo. He caught a chill, and that'll make his cold worsen . . . and he broke his leg falling into the pool. But he will get better. And I intend to stay here until I am satisfied that I am not needed, so nothing will be going wrong." She glanced around at the children, most of whom were asleep. "And I want to be sure that Duo's cold hasn't spread too much. If one of the little ones get sick . . ." She brushed her fingers through Chibi-Duo's hair. "I want to be here to make sure they don't get too bad. If we catch it soon enough, I can keep it from progressing to pneumonia."  
  
Chibi-Duo sniffled. "Can I see my daddy?"  
  
Sally smiled kindly and knelt down to be at eye-level with the child. "I'm sorry, but he's asleep and needs his rest. Plus I'm sure he wouldn't want you to catch his cold." She lightly tapped his nose with a finger. "I'm sure he loves you far too much to see you sick, just as you love him so much that you want to make sure he'll be all right. I promise you this, though . . . so long as he does as he's told, eats his meals and gets his sleep . . . he'll be allowed out into the front room to rest in about a week. That's only seven days. You can look after the other kids for seven days, right?"  
  
Chibi-Duo beamed. "Yeah! I can take care of the kids! I done it b'fore!"  
  
"Good." Sally smiled. "Now, I want you to help Miss Relena and Quatre with getting these kids to bed. Okay?"  
  
Chibi-Duo nodded and rubbed his hand over his eyes again. Then he got up and went over to wake the other boys and girls, telling them it was time to get to bed . . . that everything was going to be okay now that Sally was here. He was such a sweet boy, Relena certainly hoped that Duo's health would recover quickly, if only for Chibi-Duo's sake.  
  
*****  
  
Quatre yawned as he climbed the stairs. He had stayed behind to make sure all of the other children were tended to, before taking his own little brother up to bed. He checked in on Chibi-Duo, wanting to be sure that the child was resting. He was relieved to find Chibi-Duo safely tucked in his own bed, slumbering soundly, his little arms clutched tightly around a stuffed animal. And in his own bed, Odin slept peacefully.  
  
Satisfied that both boys were okay, Quatre quietly left the room and closed the door, heading to Raberba's room. "Okay, time for bed." Quatre whispered, running his hand along Raberba's back in light strokes.  
  
"Uh-uh . . . not tired." Raberba said, then promptly broke out into a yawn.  
  
Quatre smiled, chuckling lightly. "Yes . . . I can see you're wide awake." Quatre said with a tone of sarcasm. He reached out to open the bedroom door, only to stop as Raberba spoke again.  
  
"Quatre . . . can I see Triton?" He asked quietly. "I wanna make sure he's really okay."  
  
Quatre nodded, if only to himself. "Of course." He responded, turning and heading to the bedroom that he shared with Trowa.  
  
Not wanting to disturb Trowa, in case the tall youth was asleep, Quatre slowly pushed the door open and stepped inside. He smiled though, seeing that Trowa was lying in bed, propped up on one elbow as he looked down at Triton. Quatre's gaze flicked to Triton, his smile fading. Triton was sleeping . . . although not peacefully. He whimpered now and again in his sleep, his fingers moving to scratch at his reddened skin. Quatre could see hints of medication on the rash, probably meant to soothe and clear it up faster.  
  
In his arms, Raberba shifted. The slight movement brought Quatre from his internal musings and he stepped further into the room, closing the door behind them. Quatre walked over and knelt down beside Trowa's bed, setting Raberba gently on his feet.  
  
"Raberba here just wanted to make sure Triton is doing okay." Quatre stated, smiling slightly at Trowa and hoping the tall youth wouldn't mind. "How is he doing?"  
  
"He's resting now . . . Sally says that's a good thing." Trowa replied. "The swelling in his tongue has gone down, and his rash isn't getting any worse . . . I think he'll be fine. He just won't be feeling very well for a few days."  
  
"You sure?" Raberba asked, standing there by the bed and wringing his hands together nervously. "He don't look so good."  
  
Trowa smiled faintly. "Sally says he looks worse than he is. He will get better." Trowa stated.  
  
"Okay." Raberba yawned, rubbing his eyes tiredly. He turned to look at Quatre, pouting a little. "Can I sleep with you tonight?"  
  
Quatre nodded, raising a hand to sweep through Raberba's already disheveled hair. "All right, climb into bed." He smiled.  
  
Raberba didn't waste a second. He ran over and scurried into bed, lying down almost instantly. It was adorable actually. Quatre couldn't help but smile at the sight.  
  
"Trowa . . . you should get some sleep too." Quatre said, looking down at his friend. "I don't want you worrying yourself sick over Triton." He reached to the end of the bed, pulling up the blankets and covering Trowa and Triton with them.  
  
Trowa obediently lay down, his one arm draped protectively over Triton's little body. "Thank you, Quatre." He whispered, keeping his gaze focused on Triton. "Goodnight." The child curled closer to him in the light embrace . . . pressing his face close to Trowa's chest, whimpering quietly before he settled down again.  
  
"Goodnight, Trowa." Quatre replied, turning off the light before he got into his own bed.  
  
As soon as Quatre was in bed, Raberba latched onto him. He hugged Quatre out of desperation, Quatre could sense the waves of guilt and fear flowing from the little boy cuddling against him. Quatre sighed, pulling the blankets up before wrapping his arms around the child.  
  
"It's okay, Raberba." Quatre said in a breathless whisper, not wanting to disturb either Trowa or Triton. "You did nothing wrong."  
  
Raberba sniffled and nodded. He pressed closer to Quatre, hugging him tightly. Quatre stayed awake and listened to his breathing, waiting until the boy fell into a quiet slumber before he even allowed his own eyes to close. He sighed, hoping that Raberba would be able to forgive himself . . . guilt was not something he needed on his little shoulders.  
  
To Be Continued . . . 


	31. Part ThirtyOne

Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.  
  
Notes: Odin gets worried when Chibi-Duo has a nightmare. Heero caves in and takes the stricken chibi to see his daddy.  
  
Young Hearts  
  
Part Thirty-One  
  
Odin groaned as he was roused from sleep for a third time that night. He was getting irritable since he knew from training with J that sleeping in was frowned upon. Still . . . his senses told him that something was wrong, and that sapped the grumpiness from him.  
  
Rubbing his eyes wearily, he looked over to the other bed in the room and frowned when he saw his friend tossing and whimpering as if in a horrible nightmare. Without a second thought, Odin climbed out of his own bed and trudged over to watch Chibi-Duo for a moment. Then he climbed up and gently shook his friend's shoulder. He didn't like seeing the other boy this upset. He actually liked playing with Chibi-Duo and wanted the long-haired boy to be happy as much as possible. He shook Chibi-Duo again, this time a little more roughly, feeling worried for his friend.  
  
"Wake up! It's just a bad dream. C'mon." He said, continuing with the shaking.  
  
Chibi-Duo sat bolt upright with a sharp cry. He looked around, his eyes filling with tears, his vision locking on Odin's face. Then, without warning, Chibi-Duo launched himself onto Odin, clutching to him with desperation. "I . . . I want my DADDY!" Then he started to sob brokenly.  
  
Odin blinked and awkwardly put his arms around his friend, not altogether sure of what to do. He didn't hear as the door was opened, but he did look up when he felt a weight shift the bed.  
  
"What happened?" Heero asked as he settled himself on the bed.  
  
Odin couldn't help but feel relieved that Heero was there now. "He had a nightmare, and now wants to see Duo."  
  
Heero nodded and gently took Chibi-Duo from Odin's arms. Odin watched curiously as Chibi-Duo reacted to the adult's presence by curling closer to Heero.  
  
Chibi-Duo sniffled and looked up at Heero with sad, red-rimmed eyes, tears falling freely down his flushed cheeks. "C'n I see my daddy? PLEASE? I'll be good! I won't breathe or nuthin' while I'm in there!"  
  
Heero sighed. "You have to calm down first. If Duo wakes up and sees you're upset, he'll want to get up and help." Heero gently brushed his fingers through Chibi-Duo's bangs, letting out a breath before he continued. "What was your nightmare about? Perhaps talking about it will help to ease your distress."  
  
Chibi-Duo was quiet for a moment, biting his lip before he spoke. "Take me to see my daddy, an' I'll tell you 'bout my nightmare. Once I know it was dumb, I'll be able to talk about it."  
  
Heero had gotten up to get a glass of water for Duo, since Duo had roused somewhat and had declared he was thirsty. He had reluctantly left Duo's side, although he knew that Wufei would keep a careful watch on the young man while he was gone. As he had been walking down the hallway on his way down to the kitchen, Heero had heard the distinct sound of sobbing coming from Odin and Chibi-Duo's room.  
  
To be truthful, Heero had expected something like this to happen, although he hadn't been certain which child would react in such a way. He nodded as the boy asked to see his daddy, knowing that the request wasn't unreasonable. Besides, seeing the boy would do Duo some good as well.  
  
"All right." Heero agreed. "But you'll have to keep your nose and mouth covered." He said, although he knew that much couldn't be done to keep Chibi-Duo from coming down with a cold as well. If Heero didn't let him go see Duo, then he'd probably just sneak in later without taking any precautions at all, leading all of the children to getting sick within a matter of days. At least this way Heero could limit the possibility of Duo's illness spreading like a wildfire.  
  
Heero felt a small smile tugging at his lips as Chibi-Duo let out a happy whoop and scrambled off of Heero's lap as well as the bed. Odin slid off of the bed and followed after his friend, helping him to scrounge for something to use.  
  
Eventually, Chibi-Duo pulled out a bright red bandana that had been bought with the rest of the children's clothing. Heero smiled as he remembered asking just why Duo had purchased the cotton square. Duo had smiled and said that a bandana could be one of several costumes. It could be a necktie for a cowboy, a mask for a robber, a sack for a hobo . . . and so on. It had seemed like a decent explanation so Heero hadn't questioned it further. Now, the red cloth was being tied securely around Chibi-Duo's face by Odin. The cloth wouldn't really protect the child all that much, but it was a precaution that needed to be taken.  
  
Heero turned his attention to his adopted younger brother. "Odin . . . I'll bring Chibi-Duo to see his father. Why don't you go and get Sally? She wanted to be notified when Duo awakened." He knew the look on Odin's face and allowed a small smile for the boy. "There are no missions tomorrow, so you can sleep in." He nodded in satisfaction as Odin's shoulders relaxed. The boy still held onto the fear that this was a hoax, that his caretakers would come and take him away for more training. Heero was trying to dissuade that mode of thinking. There would be no further training for the child, he would make sure Odin had a happy life . . . like a normal child.  
  
Heero nodded, if only to himself, then set his hand on Chibi-Duo's shoulder and led him from the bedroom, watching briefly as Odin ran down the hall and stopped at the door to Relena and Sally's shared room. When Odin stepped inside, Heero gave a quick knock to his own door and opened it.  
  
Wufei was sitting up, now lying behind Duo and wearing his pajama bottoms once again . . . and, upon seeing the child in front of Heero, he smirked. "Look, Duo . . . Heero caught a bandit and brought him in for questioning."  
  
Heero made no reply as he ushered Chibi-Duo into the room.  
  
Duo opened his eyes, his brow furrowing as he fought to focus his weary gaze. Then he groaned, shaking his head a little. "Aw, man! I don't want the kids getting sick!" But he still smiled as the little boy approached. "Hey, kiddo. Come on up." He sighed, raising a tired hand to gesture the boy forward.  
  
Chibi-Duo's eyes filled with tears as he climbed onto the bed and threw his little arms around Duo's neck. "Daddy . . ." He sniffled heavily. "I was so scared an' I had a bad dream, an' . . ."  
  
Duo's eyes widened somewhat as he pulled the small boy closer. "Sshh . . . okay." He looked up at Heero, a pleading look in his eyes. "Hey, guys . . . can you clear the room for a moment?"  
  
Heero frowned, but he understood why Duo was asking. So he headed out of the room with Wufei close behind him.  
  
Duo watched his two friends leave the room, then turned his attention to the little boy in his arms, feeling nothing but concern for his son. "Okay . . . what happened? You can tell me."  
  
Chibi-Duo sniffled miserably. "It's just . . . you know how often I've been turned away from homes and what happened wif Solo an' everything." He snuggled closer, a shudder passing through his young body. "I just . . . in my nightmare, it was YOU dyin' and then everyone else turned me away and . . ."  
  
Duo hugged his son close and kissed the top of his head. "Okay . . . it's okay." Duo said, rubbing Chibi-Duo's back lightly. "I'm not dying. Solo had something that could have been cured if he'd had the medicine in time, and we tried to save him, but couldn't. Sally is a wonderful doctor and she's going to make sure that I don't get much worse." He brushed the tears from under the boy's face, although they were already soaking into the bandana he was wearing. "So, as bad as it looks, I'm going to be fine. Okay?"  
  
"Okay." Chibi-Duo nodded, his voice muffled as he pressed his face against Duo's chest.  
  
Duo barely heard as the door to the bedroom was opened. However, he did hear Sally's voice call to him. "All right now, that's enough I think." She said, smiling as she strode to the bed. "Both of you need to get to sleep."  
  
Chibi-Duo nodded, reluctantly drawing his arms away from Duo's body. Heero entered the room then, setting a glass of water on the bedside table while Odin stood just inside the doorway, not moving any further in, nor leaving. However, Duo didn't see Wufei.  
  
"Hey, where's Wu-man?" Duo asked, feeling curious.  
  
"I sent him back to bed." Sally smiled. "I don't think you need the added body warmth anymore."  
  
"Oh . . . okay." Duo blushed.  
  
Sally looked over her shoulder, regarding Heero. "Why don't you take the boys back to their room and tuck them in while I give Duo a look over?"  
  
Heero nodded, saying nothing. He grasped Chibi-Duo's shoulder, easily leading the child from the bedroom. Chibi-Duo waved once before he was taken out of the room, his eyes portraying worry and sadness. Duo knew that nothing would convince the kid he'd be okay . . . except for Duo doing just that. He had to get healthy again, if only for Chibi-Duo's sake. The kid didn't need any more heartache.  
  
To Be Continued . . . 


	32. Part ThirtyTwo

Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.  
  
Notes: Heero grudgingly agrees to take Duo to visit Triton.  
  
Young Hearts  
  
Part Thirty-Two  
  
Heero frowned as Duo shifted on the bed. "What's wrong?" He asked, setting aside his book.  
  
It was morning now and he'd been at Duo's side most, if not all, of the night. It was still relatively early in the morning, but Sally had already visited once and was now down in the kitchen making breakfast for everyone with Wufei's help. From the sound of small feet rushing past the bedroom door, Heero guessed that some of the children were awake as well. He'd gone to check in on Chibi-Duo and Odin not too long ago . . . and had found that both boys were still asleep, probably worn out from the events of last night.  
  
Duo groaned and turned to look at Heero. "Can't sleep." He spoke in a croaking voice. Then he winced. His voice, usually gentle, sounded gravelly and rough. When she had been in here earlier, Sally had warned them that laryngitis was a possibility.  
  
"Duo . . . Chibi-Duo is sleeping soundly right now." Heero said, rising out of the chair he had been sitting in and moving to sit beside Duo on the bed. "Granted, he's using Odin as a human teddy bear . . ." Heero felt pleased that Duo's mouth quirked into a smile at the mental image. "But that's to be expected after a nightmare. It'll take him time to understand that we won't toss him aside." Taking a chance, Heero brushed Duo's damp bangs away from his flushed face, frowning at the sheer heat coming off of the young man's body. "Just like we would never toss you aside."  
  
Duo coughed a moment before he shook his head. "It isn't Chibi-Duo . . ." He swallowed and cleared his throat. "It's Triton."  
  
Heero smiled a little in understanding. "Duo . . . it wasn't your fault. You couldn't have known this would happen, so go to sleep."  
  
Instead of doing as instructed, Duo pushed himself up into a sitting position, although it was obvious that it weakened him a great deal. "I can't . . . I'm worried 'bout Triton." He said, his voice grating and harsh. "Be a pal and take me in there to see him, would ya? At least . . . so I can apologize to the kid."  
  
Heero sighed. "And if I don't, you'll probably just go there on your own." He sighed again. "All right . . . let's bundle you up and cover your mouth." He moved to wrap Duo in blankets, being cautious of the young man's broken leg.  
  
Pausing in his task, Heero rubbed his nose, frowning. Then he grimaced after he inhaled through his nose. He had, for lack of a better term, the sniffles. It was the first sign of coming down with something. Sally had warned them of that possibility as well. It wouldn't be long before he was sick . . . and probably most of the children, if not all of them, would catch this cold.  
  
Trowa lay on his side, frowning at the slight form of the child curled against him. Triton was asleep, whimpering weakly. He absently scratched at his skin, at the fading rash that covered much of his little body. Trowa gently took hold of his wrist, stopping him from scratching more. It wouldn't do the boy good to scratch . . . it would only make things worse. In reaction, Triton whimpered again, rolling over and pressing his face against Trowa's chest.  
  
"How is he?" Came Quatre's gentle voice as he sat up, his hand settled on Raberba's side. The younger blonde was still asleep, cuddled up in the blankets that had been covering them.  
  
Trowa shook his head. "He's feverish . . . the rash isn't as bad, but he hasn't gotten much better."  
  
Quatre smiled faintly. "I'm sure he'll recover. It'll just take time." He said, stifling a yawn with the back of his hand.  
  
Trowa felt his own lips quirk slightly. That yawn made Quatre look like a sleepy child himself. "If you're still tired, you can go back to sleep." He said, feeling a longing deep inside of himself to see Quatre's innocent face during slumber once more. Quatre was simply angelic as he slept.  
  
Quatre shook his head. "No . . . once I'm awake in the morning, I stay awake." He deftly put a pillow in his place and Raberba clutched to it. "It's hard to believe I was once this tiny." His eyes became gentle as he regarded the sleeping form of his little brother.  
  
The sound of the door opening drew Trowa's attention and he did smile as Heero entered, carrying a half-conscious Duo. The smile was more to comfort the distraught-looking American more than anything else. "It wasn't your fault, Duo." Trowa assured. "You didn't know I was allergic to strawberries."  
  
Duo flushed, adjusting the bit of cloth he had covering his mouth, and Trowa could guess he was smiling derisively underneath that makeshift mask. "How is he? Is he awake? I know you aren't mad, Trowa, but I just GOTTA apologize to the little guy." Duo said, his voice so hoarse it was barely understandable.  
  
Trowa nodded. Beside him, he felt Triton's body stiffen at the sound of Duo's voice and knew the boy to be awake. Trowa knew he would have to talk with the child . . . it was important that Triton not blame Duo for what had happened. Duo obviously loved the kids, and having one of them mad at him would crush his spirit. He didn't want his friend to suffer.  
  
"Triton . . . you have a visitor." Trowa said, gently setting his hand on Triton's little shoulder.  
  
Triton looked up, his eyes red and moist and filled with absolute misery as they regarded Trowa. Then he turned his head to look at Duo.  
  
"Hey . . . listen . . . I'm really sorry that my error made you sick. I . . ." Duo broke off as Triton turned his head away, whimpering as he clutched at Trowa's tank top.  
  
Trowa frowned and gently made Triton look at him. "Please don't be mad at Duo, Triton. I never told him of my allergy to strawberries because it never came up. He would never harm you or any of the other children on purpose."  
  
Triton let out a weak grunt before turning his head to look at Duo again. After a moment, the child nodded.  
  
Trowa smiled at the pure relief that filled Duo's eyes. He knew it would take a while for Triton to trust Duo again, but at least forgiveness was a part of the equation.  
  
"Come on, Duo. You've seen Triton and have apologized. Now, it's back to bed with you." Heero said, turning to leave the room.  
  
Duo snorted, his voice barely heard as he choked out. "Great . . . you're trying to get me in bed, and it isn't even with you. That's no fun." Then he broke out in a fit of coughs as Heero carried him out.  
  
Trowa heard Sally's voice outside. "I'll be in to check on you, Duo, once I made sure Triton is doing better." At the sound of a raspberry from Duo, Sally entered the bedroom. She was shaking her head and chuckling. "Now . . . how are you doing today, little one?" She asked as she knelt down beside the bed.  
  
Trowa smiled as Sally gently checked Triton over. He truly hoped that Duo would get better quickly. He knew his friend, and doubted that Duo would put up with being confined to a bed for very long.  
  
Sally smiled. "All right. You're looking much better than you did last night." She said, sweeping her fingers through Triton's hair. Then she looked up at Trowa. "Make sure he gets rest and drinks plenty of fluids. I'll give you some more topical cream for that rash."  
  
"He gonna be okay?" A little voice asked.  
  
Trowa smirked, turning to look at the tired little blonde who was wearily rubbing his eyes. Poor Raberba, the child looked tired, not to mention sad. He was probably worried about Triton . . . after all, he had been concerned enough to want to see Triton last night.  
  
"As long as he rests, he will be." Sally replied, smiling kindly at Raberba. "In a few days he should be as healthy as normal. Say, why don't you and Quatre go down and get some breakfast? I believe I saw Wufei in there a few minutes ago getting things ready."  
  
Raberba nodded, then looked up at Quatre. "Can we bring sumthin' up for Triton?"  
  
"Of course we can." Quatre smirked. "And for Trowa as well."  
  
Trowa found himself smiling again. Maybe the boy was more like his older self than Trowa had believed. Last night, he had shown nothing less than spoiled behavior . . . today he seemed kind and considerate. Perhaps there was more to his personality than Trowa had thought.  
  
As soon as Raberba and Quatre had left the room, Raberba once again rubbing at his eyes, Sally turned to look at Trowa again. "Okay, open your mouth, Trowa." She grinned, reaching into her black bag and pulling out a long sterile cotton swab. "Since I'm here, I might as well take a sample from you."  
  
Trowa gave a quick nod, doing as she had instructed, waiting patiently as Sally swiped the swab along the inside of his mouth. Besides, he was eager to know if Catherine was his sister or not. He didn't want to let it show, but he truly was anxious to know the truth, though he feared the outcome would not be what he hoped it would be.  
  
Heero entered the kitchen and smiled slightly when he saw Wufei standing at the stove. Rubbing his nose in an attempt to clear it, he groaned, feeling so very weary. He hated to admit it, but he had been sorely tempted to just go back to bed as Duo had. Heero had mentioned to Sally when she had come to check on the American that he thought he was coming down with a cold as well, and she had taken his temperature and handed him a couple of cold capsules. Heero had dutifully taken his medicine and brought the now-empty bowl that had contained Duo's breakfast into the kitchen.  
  
Wufei turned and frowned when he looked at Heero. "Cold?"  
  
Heero nodded, knowing that Wufei hadn't meant the temperature of the room. "Sally did tell us to expect it. Though I believe my illness is due to going out in the snow after Duo with so little covering on my body. Sally is going back to Headquarters in a little while to tend to some business and to gather a whole regimen of medicines for the children as well as regular cold medicine." He sighed, then gestured to the stove in curiosity. "So . . . what are you making?"  
  
Wufei turned back to stirring the contents of two pots. "Oatmeal and cream of wheat. I figured that the kids would like to have something warm and comforting after the fright they got last night. Most of the children have already eaten, but there are a few that have not come down yet."  
  
Heero nodded again and breathed in as deeply as he could. Unfortunately, it only resorted in him coughing until his throat was raw. When he could breathe again, he found Wufei standing beside him, his hand on Heero's back.  
  
"Perhaps you should go back to bed." Wufei suggested.  
  
"Yes, I think that would be the smart thing to do." Heero sighed. Then he did what he had come down here to do and set Duo's bowl in the sink.  
  
He was turning to leave when he heard little feet pounding toward the kitchen, and smiled. He was hardly surprised when Chibi-Duo bolted into the kitchen as if being chased by a tiger.  
  
"Good morning." Heero said, reaching out to ruffle Chibi-Duo's hair. "Wufei's almost done preparing breakfast."  
  
Chibi-Duo blinked and stared up at Heero. "What are YOU doin' down here? You're supposed to be watchin' my daddy! If you're down here, who's wif my daddy?" Chibi-Duo gasped and the little boy's eyes widened in horror. "You didn't leave him ALONE, didja?"  
  
Heero laughed softly and shook his head. "No . . . I didn't leave him alone. Sally is with him. She's checking up on him while I get the dishes in the sink." He looked down and frowned a little when he saw that Chibi-Duo's feet were bare. "Why aren't you wearing socks?"  
  
Odin entered the kitchen. Unlike Chibi-Duo, he was wearing a pair of thick socks. "We smelled food cooking and he ran off." He held up another pair of socks. "I got his socks for him." He handed them up to Heero.  
  
Chibi-Duo pouted. "Well, the food smelled good and . . . ummm . . ." He blushed and looked down, as if ashamed of himself. The next words that he said were barely audible. "I didn't wanna risk everythin' bein' gone."  
  
Heero felt a wave of sympathy for the child . . . as well as for the life that Duo had obviously led . . . as he picked Chibi-Duo up. "We have plenty of food, Chibi-Duo. You don't have to rush to get your share." He set the boy down on a stool and smiled. "If you ever oversleep, one of us would just make something good for you to eat when you wake up." He started pulling the socks on Chibi-Duo's little feet. "Keep your feet covered. You don't want Duo to worry about you getting sick, do you?"  
  
Chibi-Duo shook his head. "Uh-uh! I want my daddy getting better so we can play again!" He grinned.  
  
"Good. I'm sure knowing that will make Duo feel a lot better." Heero smirked, helping the young boy off of the stool again. "You two go on and sit at the table and eat breakfast. If either of you need anything, talk to Wufei . . . or one of the other adults, okay? I'll be up with Duo."  
  
"Okay!" Chibi-Duo nodded.  
  
"Yes, sir." Odin responded at a more muted tone.  
  
Heero turned and left the kitchen, sighing as he walked off. He hoped that everything would turn out okay. He didn't want any of the children to worry too much . . . and if they all got sick, things around here were bound to become very hectic.  
  
To Be Continued . . .  
  
Notes: Thank you to all my readers for the wonderful reviews. In response to Myca's review, I'll try to answer your questions as best as I can.  
  
The clones did age a year for every month they spent inside the pods. However, now that they are out, they age normally.  
  
And no, the scientists hadn't yet programed their killing machine personalities. That particular program would have been initiated when the clones were roughly the same physical age of their originals. It's complicated, but the topic will be addressed later in the fic, hopefully sometime soon. I do have a sketchy plot, it's just taking me a while to get around to it. 


	33. Part ThirtyThree

Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.

Notes: It's been about a day since the last part. More in the household start getting sick.

Young Hearts

Part Thirty-Three

Raberba snuck along the hallway. Technically, he was supposed to be in bed for his afternoon nap, but he really wanted to see how Triton was doing. He felt that it was at least partially his own fault that Triton was ill. If it hadn't been for him asking Duo to give Triton his scoop of ice cream, then Triton wouldn't be so bad off. The concept of allergies was somewhat lost on him. He didn't really understand.

He walked into the bedroom to see Trowa sitting at Triton's side, taking care of the silent little boy. "Is he gonna be okay?" Raberba asked, biting his lip worriedly.

The tall teenager turned to him with a small smile. "He'll be all right. Sally gave him some medicine that will help make him better." Then his smile faded. "Shouldn't you be napping?"

Raberba shrugged. "Well . . . Quatre seemed kinda distracted." He watched as Trowa frowned a little, wondering what he had said wrong. "Is something wrong?"

Trowa stood up and stepped over to the door, looking back to Raberba. "I knew I heard Quatre sneezing earlier. Will you look after Triton for me?" He asked.

Raberba nodded. "I'll look after him." He said, smiling as he carefully climbed up onto the bed as Trowa left the room. He didn't want to wake Triton up, so he made sure to be extra careful.

Trowa walked toward Raberba and Triton's bedroom, pausing only to check in on Duo. His lips curled in a slight smile as he saw that the long-haired young man was fast asleep and looked rather peaceful. Heero was not too far away in his own bed, sniffling and rubbing his nose.

"You too, huh?" Trowa said.

Heero looked up and shrugged. "It's okay. I can handle it." He wiped at his nose and gave Trowa a quizzical look. "Is there something wrong?"

Trowa smiled a little. "Raberba's awake. He said Quatre seemed distracted and so Raberba was able to sneak away from him." He sighed. "I was wondering what was taking Quatre so long to put the boy down for his nap. Since I was up, I decided to check in on Duo . . . I see he's in good hands."

When Heero nodded, Trowa eased back out of the room, closing the door quietly and hoping he hadn't inadvertently disturbed Duo's much-needed rest.

Trowa entered the children's room and walked over to the bunk beds, a sad smile on his face at the sight of what he found. Quatre was asleep on the bottom bunk, the front of Triton's fort flipped up over Raberba's bed. His cheeks were somewhat pink, a light sheen of sweat glistening on his skin. Trowa raised his hand, lightly brushing the pale youth's bangs back, only to bite his lip at the heat that radiated from the delicate form.

Being extremely careful, Trowa eased his arms beneath Quatre's body and pulled him out. He held the delicate bundle close as he stood, frowning with each little sound that Quatre made. The blonde moaned in his sleep, his one hand coming up to grasp Trowa's shirt as he leaned his face closer to Trowa's body. Still, he didn't awaken, and for that Trowa was grateful. He doubted that Quatre would ever want him to hold him like this. With a sigh, Trowa left the bedroom, Quatre's lithe body cradled in his arms as he headed back to their bedroom.

He paused outside the door when he heard Raberba's voice.

"And so then . . . the princess kissed the frog and he turned into a prince. The prince then explained that he had been cursed at birth. So the princess learned that sometimes things aren't always what they seem. She and the prince got married and they lived happily ever after."

Trowa stepped into the room then and smiled as the children both looked up at him. He was glad to see that Triton was breathing evenly, that he seemed calm in Raberba's presence. "Thank you for looking after him a moment." Trowa said, moving over to the empty bed and gently setting Quatre down.

"He okay?" Raberba asked, worry tainting his young voice.

Trowa deftly unbuttoned Quatre's top, easing the garment from his body. He didn't waste time gawking at the form he was revealing, instead just wanting to make sure that Quatre would be comfortable as he rested. He took off his shoes and socks, unbuckled his belt, then dragged his pants down and off his slim legs.

"He's just caught Duo's cold. He should be fine as long as he rests." Trowa said, pulling the blankets up and over Quatre's mostly-bare body. The last thing Quatre needed was to catch a chill. He turned and raised his eyebrow at Raberba, noting that the child's cheeks looked a little flushed. "You look like you've got it too."

"I'm fine." Raberba pouted, wiping at his nose. "Anything else you need me to do?"

Trowa shook his head. "Not at the moment, but why don't you lie down with Quatre for a while so you can be nearby if I do need anything?"

Raberba bit his lip, then nodded. He didn't look too happy about it, but he didn't fight either. The little boy kicked off his shoes and Trowa helped him into bed, lifting the blankets so the child could maneuver his way in.

Trowa gave the boy a slight smile as Raberba snuggled up against Quatre. In response, Quatre smiled in his sleep, just a delicate curl of his lips, but he looked to be enjoying the physical contact. Trowa adjusted the blankets around the two of them, making sure they were both well-covered, before turning and walking back over to his own bed. He sat on the edge, smiling down at Triton as he swept his fingers through the boy's unkempt hair.

"Feeling any better?" Trowa asked.

Triton shook his head with a pout. Barely a moment later, he sneezed.

"You too, hm?" Trowa sighed. Sally was right. This was spreading rather quickly. But it was hardly surprising, given the fact that the clones didn't have any immunities toward the common cold. It was bound to spread like a wildfire among them.

Triton nodded, whimpering sadly.

"All right. You just wait here and I'll go get Sally, okay? Do you think you can do that?" Trowa asked, letting his thumb stroke one of Triton's cheeks.

Triton bit his lip, but nodded, his little fists holding the blankets in a death grip.

"It's okay. Quatre and Raberba are here. You're not alone." Trowa said, trying to ease the boy's fears. "I promise I won't be gone long."

Triton nodded, taking in a letting out a deep breath, though he ended up coughing.

Trowa sighed, rising from the bed. He left the room again, moving more quickly this time as he searched for Sally. He hadn't gotten ten feet before he nearly collided with Wufei as the Chinese youth was leaving one of the bathrooms. Wufei looked positively miserable, his eyes reddened, his mouth hanging open as he struggled to breathe.

"Remind me to kill Maxwell." Wufei groaned, wiping at his nose with a tissue.

"How many are sick?" Trowa asked, genuinely curious. He hadn't left his room for much, having wanted to stay by Triton's side in case the boy should need anything. The welfare of everyone else, including himself, was secondary to Triton's well-being. "I noticed Quatre was ill . . . and Raberba seems to be coming down with something . . . and Triton is as well now."

Wufei sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Me . . . Yuy and Maxwell . . . Odin is unwell, as is Treize and Milliardo." He took a breath, only to break into coughs. "The others have so far avoided illness." He looked up, eyeing Trowa oddly. "Looks as if you've caught it as well . . . you're looking pale."

Trowa shrugged. "It isn't surprising." If he got sick, then he got sick. There was no use in worrying over it. "Do you know where Sally is? I'd like her to look Triton over."

"Last time I saw her, she was heading to check in on Odin." Wufei grimaced. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going back to bed."

Nodding, Trowa let the ill youth pass, then he continued on his own way. He knocked lightly on the door to Odin and Chibi-Duo's bedroom, then opened the door. He smiled kindly as he found Chibi-Duo sitting on the edge of Odin's bed, humming a little tune as he set a cool compress over the other boy's forehead.

"Taking good care of him, I see." Trowa commented.

Chibi-Duo looked up and smiled a little. "Everyone's gonna be okay, right? That nice lady-doctor said so."

Trowa walked over and placed his hand on Chibi-Duo's forehead, relieved to find that the child was still cool. He nodded, giving the boy a reassuring smile. "I was actually looking for Sally. I'm sure she's glad to have someone helping her, but try not to overdo it, okay? No one wants you to get sick due to exhaustion." He glanced down at Odin, seeing that the boy was sniffling even in his sleep. Then he looked around the room. "Do you know where Sally went?"

The little boy nodded. "She said she was gonna go look in on Treize an' Milliardo." Then he went back to tending to Odin and resumed humming.

Trowa smiled and left the room. He walked down the hall a little, but was brought up short by the sight of Relena and little Lena carrying blankets. They both wore the same determined looks on their faces, and Trowa forced himself not to chuckle at the sight. "What's up?"

Lena sighed. "We're bringin' pillows and blankets to the boys. Boys can be such babies when they're sick."

Trowa raised an eyebrow at that observation, but merely shrugged. "So, you two are tending to Treize and Milliardo?"

Relena sighed and nodded. "Midii and Tian Bao are helping Sally as best as they can. I wish I could help with the others, but . . . we have our hands full as it is."

Trowa nodded with a small smile. "Well . . . everyone in my room is ill. Raberba is in there now napping with Quatre, and I know I've come down with it as well. Chibi-Duo is fine, and he's helping to look after Odin." He sighed, shaking his head. He had gotten off track. "I'm looking for Sally. Wufei said she was in with Odin. Chibi-Duo just told me that she went to look in on Treize and Milliardo. Do you know where she is?"

Relena motioned to Duo and Heero's room. "She just left a moment ago. She's probably in with Duo and Heero, making sure they're resting like they're supposed to. You probably just missed her while you were in Odin and Chibi-Duo's room."

"Thank you." Trowa replied, turning on his heel and heading back down the hallway again.

He was just reaching out to open the bedroom door when it was opened for him. He blinked, suddenly finding himself facing the very person he had been looking for.

"Oh, Trowa . . . I didn't see you. Did you need something?" Sally asked as she closed the door behind herself.

Trowa sighed. "I just thought I'd let you know that Quatre, Raberba and Triton all have colds. Raberba is in my room." He shook his head. "Triton didn't need a cold on top of recovering from his allergies."

Sally frowned and motioned for Trowa to move forward, which he did. "No, he doesn't. Poor child. I'd best look in on him, Quatre and Raberba." She paused and squinted her eyes. "And it looks as if you're ill as well. Have you been eating properly?"

Trowa sighed again and took a step back, only to have to put a hand to the wall to steady himself. "I've eaten some, but . . ."

Sally smiled a little. "But you've been worried about Triton. That's understandable. I'll tell the girls to bring some soup up to you. I might as well see about getting some small radios that we use at the Preventers to communicate. It won't do anyone any good if you and everyone else who's sick need to get out of bed to come look for me or for anyone else who isn't sick." Letting out a breath, she headed to the room that Trowa and Quatre shared.

Trowa followed behind her, feeling a bit lightheaded.

Une walked with a purpose to the Medical Wing of Preventer Headquarters, a plastic bag clutched in her hand. She had a very special visit to make. Someone fell into step beside her. "Any luck getting in contact with Merquise and Noin?" Une asked, not looking in the direction of her subordinate.

The young secretary shuffled some papers. "No, Ma'am, but I was appraised that the next communications window will be at about five o'clock this evening." She shuffled some more papers. "Also . . . Dr. Po just called and stated that many of the occupants in the nearby Winner estate are ill and she requests a number of two-way radios."

Une nodded. "I'll sign whatever forms are needed shortly." The secretary left as quietly as she had arrived, going about whatever tasks she still had to do today.

Une entered the medical wing and smiled as she approached the technicians and nurses. "How is our young patient today?"

"The same, unfortunately," one of the technicians said. "We're having trouble decrypting the locks on the machinery."

"She's a blank slate," A nurse said, brushing back a few stray hairs from the clone of Lucrezia Noin's face. "It seems the scientists made it so that they would only have enough brain impulses to tell the lungs to breathe, her heart to beat and so forth. She isn't learning. We think the scientists put a block in her mind in the case one of their unfinished 'projects' were stolen before the process was completed."

"So you need the machine to implant the memories," Une mused, her eyes fixated on the pale child lying in the hospital bed. She looked so tiny there. It was hard to imagine Noin as ever being such a fragile-looking little girl.

"Yes, Ma'am. There's no way around it," someone replied, though Une didn't pay attention to who it was.

Instead, Une reached into the bag she was holding and pulled out a simple stuffed bear with a soft plaid bow tied at its neck. She smiled as she settled the bear at the child's side, wrapping one much-too-thin arm around the bear's middle. "There, that's better," she whispered, brushing her fingers through the child's long dark hair. "Every little girl should have something cuddly to hold onto."

Clearing her throat, Une turned her attention to the technicians. "Get that machine working. I want men on it twenty-four hours a day, every day until this little girl can think for herself. Bring in more people if you have to. Just get it done."

"Yes, Ma'am!" Came a number of replies, the men and women bustling about the room.

Une dragged a chair closer to the bed where the child lay immobile. She sat, content to simply be there to watch over this little girl. Even if the child couldn't hear or see her, Une didn't think it was right for any child to be left alone, not in such a frightening place as a hospital room.

So Lady Une sat there, her fingers weaving through the girl's hair in gentle strokes. She began to hum a soft tune, passing the time for the both of them as they awaited any hint of good news from the technicians who were working to save the child.

To Be Continued . . . 


	34. Part ThirtyFour

Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.

Notes: Short part. Catherine arrives to take care of her brothers.

Young Hearts

Part Thirty-Four

Catherine sighed as she rang the doorbell. She was terribly worried due to the phone call she had received from Sally stating that almost everyone in the estate was ill, including Trowa and adorable little Triton. The thought of her brother being ill brought a pang to her heart. Although, learning that Trowa truly was her younger brother had left her crying in joy for several minutes after she'd heard the news.

She smiled at Relena as the young woman opened the door, looking tired and stressed out. "Hi! Sally said you guys could use a little help."

Relena looked relieved to see Catherine. "Yes. Those of us who are well do as much as we can, but having an extra pair of hands will be an immense help. Quatre's already called in Rasid . . . we only wish we could call the other Maguanac, but so many men would be a little too much for poor Triton to handle." She stepped aside to let Catherine in. "If you'll follow me, I'll take you to your room. Actually, it's an empty bedroom. Not much in the way of furniture, but there is a bed. Trust me, you won't be spending a lot of time in there."

Catherine followed Relena upstairs, silently reminding herself to grab her suitcase later and the presents she had for the kids. She hadn't been able to resist the urge to spoil these kids a little. She only hoped they'd liked the gifts she had bought.

She froze as she reached the top of the stairs when she spotted Trowa holding Triton's little hand and leading him down the hall. Triton turned, yawning widely as he regarded Catherine.

"Hi there, Triton. Should you be out of bed? I've heard you're not feeling well." Catherine smiled, even though a part of her ached to tell Trowa the wonderful news. Sally had offered to tell him, but Catherine wanted to do it herself. She wanted to be able to look into Trowa's eyes when she confessed it, to see the emotion always visible in his vibrant green eyes. His eyes never lied, no matter if the rest of him expressed a sense of calmness.

Trowa looked pale, except for his flushed cheeks. "He had to use the bathroom," he said simply, rubbing the back of his hand across his forehead.

The child looked nervous before taking his hand away from Trowa and walking over to her.

Catherine knelt down, amazed and touched at the improvements already visible in the boy's behavior and smiled when he timidly hugged her. "Hey, there," she breathed softly. She didn't expect an answer, nor did she receive one.

Catherine fought the urge to squeeze him tight and merely pulled back to look him in the face. "I heard you had a run-in with strawberries. Are you feeling better, sweetie?" She smiled brightly as Triton nodded. "That's good . . . but you still look a little flushed, so you should be in bed resting." She was about to tell Trowa the same thing, when the tall teenager collapsed to his knees.

"Trowa!" She called out, even as Trowa fell the rest of the way to lie across the floor. She gently set Triton aside and ran to see if she could help her brother. She clucked her tongue as she knelt by his side and set a gentle hand to his cheek. "You should be in bed!" She frowned, deeply worried by the fever she could feel. He was far too warm.

Trowa groaned as he blinked open his eyes, barely staying awake. "Triton's sick. I didn't want to risk him wandering around on his own and getting hurt. He's my responsibility. Someone has to take care of him . . . and Quatre and Raberba."

Catherine hushed him gently, stroking her fingers across his cheek. "Well, I'm here now. I guess I'll get the two of you back to bed. Relena, do you think you can help Trowa back to his room? I'll follow with Triton." She turned to where the little boy was standing and staring at Trowa with a great deal of concern expressed on his young face. "Is that okay with you, sweetie?"

Her only answer was a shy little smile. He approached her slowly, biting his lip as he slipped his hand into hers. There was still nervousness in Triton's eyes, but he wasn't terrified of her. "You go on ahead, Relena." She knelt down to be eye-level with Triton as soon as Relena had helped Trowa to stand and gotten him out of hearing distance.

"Now, I'm going to tell you a secret and you can't tell Trowa, okay?" She knew he wasn't speaking yet, but there was no reason to treat him any differently than any other child. When he nodded solemnly, she smiled warmly. "I got the results back for those tests Trowa wanted. You wanna know what they said?" At the child's nod, she reached up and brushed her fingers through his hair. "The tests say that Trowa really IS my younger brother. And since you have the same DNA as Trowa and I, that makes you my baby brother, too. What do you think about that?"

The child smiled again and gave her a shy little hug.

Catherine chuckled and carefully hugged Triton in return, not wanting to frighten the precious little boy. "I was hoping you'd be happy to hear that. Now, how about you lead me to the room you and Trowa are sharing? I have a lot of big-sister duties to catch up on."

Triton nodded and waited as Catherine straightened before taking her hand and walking away.

Catherine felt a thrill of delight to know that Triton was getting over his fears, even slowly. All the little boy needed was people who cared about him, and he had that here in this house.

As soon as he stopped by the door, Catherine held her arms open in a silent offer to carry him in. The boy blinked up at her, then granted her with one of his shy and uncertain smiles before holding his arms up to her, indicating that he wanted her to carry him, even if only it would be for a few feet.

Catherine bent slightly and picked Triton up, making sure not to move too quickly. She didn't want to make Triton afraid of her now that he seemed to trust her. With a soft smile, she entered the room and placed Triton on the bed beside Trowa. She thanked Relena for her help, watching the young woman leave before looking around the room.

Quatre was sleeping in the other bed, his bed littered with children's toys and thin books. Resting beside him, was a small boy who looked almost identical to Quatre, not to mention beyond bored as he flipped through one of the books scattered around him. Catherine firmly squashed the urge to squeal in delight at how adorable Quatre's younger self was. She desperately wanted to pick the little boy up and cuddle him, but knew that most little boys didn't like being cuddled, especially by strange women they had never met before. She settled for smiling at the blonde instead, speaking softly as she regarded him. "Hello, I'm Catherine. I came to help out."

The boy was quiet a moment, before responding in a slightly hoarse voice. "I'm Raberba, Quatre's . . . brother."

Catherine nodded. "It's nice to meet you. You look bored. Once I get Triton and Trowa settled in, I'll read a story. How does that sound?"

When the boy nodded, Catherine turned her attention back to Trowa and started smoothing his hair back away from his face.

"Now that I'm here," she said, smiling down at him, "I want you to rest. You shouldn't make yourself worse. That will only make Triton worry about you."

Trowa blearily blinked at her, his eyes hazy with fever. "Had to help. Relena and Sally have their hands full."

Catherine snorted softly. "So, you decided to make yourself worse? I don't know what I'm going to do with you." She tugged lightly on his shirt. "You gotta be uncomfortable wearing a turtleneck. Why not take it off?"

Trowa said nothing, though he did struggle to push himself to a sitting position. Seeing he had little strength, Catherine helped him remove the constrictive garment. Then she pushed him back down to the bed and drew the blankets up to his chin.

"Now, I want you to get some rest. I'm going to pamper the kids a bit, then I'm going to find Sally and the others and see what I can do to help around here." She slid her fingers across his cheek. "Later on, I have something I need to talk with you about. But it's not something that can't wait."

"Okay," Trowa managed to mumble, even as his eyes were falling shut. He said nothing more, easily falling off to sleep.

Catherine smiled, shaking her head. He really should learn to take better care of himself.

With Trowa settled in and sleeping, she sat in the chair between the two beds - probably used by Sally when she checked on her patients in this room. "Okay boys, what would you like me to read to you?" She asked quietly, not wanting to disturb either Quatre or Trowa's sleep.

"This one," Raberba said, holding up a thin hardcover book.

Catherine took it, smiling. "You want to stay here, or move to the other bed with Triton?"

"I'll go over there." Raberba rubbed his hand across his nose, then hopped out of bed and crossed over to Trowa's, carefully climbing up to sit beside Triton.

Catherine waited until both boys were settled. She slid her chair closer to Trowa's bed, glancing at the cover of the book. "Fixed by Camel," she read, opening the book. She smiled at the sight of a group of animals on the inside cover, finding some of the names amusing.

She flipped through the pages until she found the beginning of the story. Then she began to read. "One morning, Camel was fixing a pipe under Main Street when Kangaroo came along and slammed the cover shut over the manhole. 'Hey! What do you think you're doing?' cried Camel. 'I'm only kidding,' giggled Kangaroo. 'Haw, haw!'" Catherine turned to the boys, showing them the pictures on the pages. "Not very nice of him, was it?"

"Nope." Raberba said.

Triton merely shook his head, looking enraptured with every word that Catherine said.

Catherine was simply happy that he was enjoying it. With a smile, she continued reading, hoping it wouldn't be long before they could get out of bed. Being sick was never fun, in her honest opinion.

To Be Continued . . .

Note: The book Catherine was reading, if anyone is interested, is "Fixed by Camel," one of many books in the "Sweet Pickles" series, written by Jacquelyn Reinach and illustrated by Richard Hefter. I enjoyed them when I was little. 


	35. Part ThirtyFive

Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters. 

Notes: Catherine finishes reading to the boys. Hilde arrives to help out.

Young Hearts

Part Thirty-Five

" . . . 'Hey!' yelled Kangaroo. 'What kind of joke is this?'" Catherine kept her voice soft and soothing.

The two children snuggled up on either side of Trowa were sound asleep, but she would not stop reading since she had caught Trowa hanging onto her every word. He had woken sometime during the story. It was rather sweet that he was listening so intently.

"'A practical one,' said Camel calmly. 'Have a snack. I'll see you later . . . when the cement on my sidewalk is dry.' The end." Catherine closed the book, quietly setting it on the bedside table.

Trowa mumbled softly, either from weariness or care not to wake the boys. "Serves the kangaroo right."

Catherine let out a soft puff of breath that worked as a chuckle. "Now, I think you should get back to sleep. You need to rest if you want to get better."

Trowa nodded and closed his eyes. "I'm glad you came, Catherine," he said, his voice trailing off, falling easily into sleep.

"So am I." She reached forward and stroked the hair away from her brother's face, feeling a great swell of love and joy in her heart.

Once she was certain that Trowa was sleeping peacefully once again, she crossed the room to the other bed to check on Quatre. She frowned as she gazed at the blonde. Something was wrong, she was sure of it. He hadn't stirred once since she had gotten here. Of course he was asleep, but from the way little Raberba was shifting in his sleep, Catherine gathered that Quatre was the type to move while he dreamed.

Acting on her instincts, she placed the back of her hand to Quatre's forehead, only to pull it back in alarm. The poor blonde was burning up, which should not have been happening considering the fact that Sally was making sure everyone took their medicine.

Taking great care not to awaken the sleeping boys - which included Trowa - she took the two-way radio she saw sitting on the bedside table and stepped out of the room. She turned it on and spoke tentatively into it, not sure of how radio protocol worked. "Um . . . hello?"

The radio was only silent for a moment. "This is Sally. What's wrong, Catherine?"

Catherine smiled, relieved to hear the doctor's voice. "Umm, can someone come to Trowa and Quatre's room? I think there's something wrong with Quatre."

Sally's voice was suddenly filled with worry. "What do you mean? Has his fever gone up? Is he in any pain?"

Rasid's voice was soon to follow hers. "I'm on my way, Miss Catherine."

Catherine sighed. "Thank you, Rasid. Quatre hasn't moved once since I got here, and he's very hot to the touch. But he doesn't look like he's in any sort of discomfort." She nodded to Rasid as the large man came into view. "Trowa and the little ones just fell asleep. I didn't want to wake them."

Sally's voice once again spoke up from the radio. "I'll meet you in the makeshift ICU . . . Rasid knows the way. I'll be able to decide the problem there. You did the right thing to call me as soon as you noticed a problem."

Rasid made just enough noise so as not to alert Trowa as he passed Catherine and entered the bedroom. Nothing woke a sleeping ex-Gundam pilot quicker than someone sneaking around.

Catherine waited outside. "I don't know what's wrong with him." She whispered.

Rasid bundled Quatre up in his blankets and lifted him as if he were a small child. In the Maguanac's arms that was just what he looked like though. "Doctor Po has almost a full hospital here. She planned for every possibility. She'll more likely than not be able to do something. Please, follow me."

Catherine nodded, trailing behind Rasid as he walked hastily through the hall. "How far is it?"

Rasid chuckled. "Not far. Doctor Po wanted the room to be close to the other bedrooms, so we converted one of the guest rooms Master Quatre had decided to keep free for visitors. He was hoping that Mister Merquise and Miss Noin would be able to arrive soon to see their younger selves." He turned and walked through an open doorway.

Sally was already there when Catherine walked in. "Hello, Catherine," Sally greeted, waving Rasid over to the large bed in the room. "I can't tell you how relieved we all were to hear you were here to help us. There's only so much one man, two women and a few children can do when there's a house full of sick men." She chuckled softly. "Women get sick, they still clean and cook. Men get the sniffles and they are immediately five years old again. Amazingly enough, Duo is the best behaved patient I have. Of course, Chibi-Duo is a great influence on him. All that sweet child has to do is give Duo those pleading eyes and Duo caves." She motioned to the bed Rasid had just settled Quatre into. "Let me look him over and I'll be able to tell you what the problem is."

Catherine watched Sally for a moment as the doctor checked Quatre's pulse and other vital functions. "Do you have any idea what's happened?"

Sally frowned as she delicately pushed one of Quatre's eyelids back and shone a light into the eye. "There is occasionally a bad reaction to this medication. If that's the case, then I'll have to ease him off this medicine before starting him on something new. If that's not the problem, these tests will help me determine what I need to do."

Catherine didn't even pretend to understand what Sally was doing. Of course, Sally could have put on a grass skirt and a coconut bra and chant while burning incense and Catherine might still think Sally was practicing a new age form of medicine. Catherine fought a snicker at the mental image. It was highly inappropriate at this time, and also very inaccurate.

When Sally muttered a curse, Catherine took a step forward. "What is it?"

Sally made quick work of spreading open Quatre's shirt and putting on her stethoscope, checking the blonde's heartbeat and breathing. "His fever is far too high. He's unresponsive. His breathing is shallow and his pulse is weak. He's slipped into a comatose state." She reached over and pulled a cart over to her, hooking Quatre up to the machine, as well as a number of others. The rhythmic beeping of the machinery only served to disturb Catherine. Her worry multiplied tenfold when Sally inserted an IV into Quatre's arm and placed an oxygen mask over his nose and mouth.

"He's not dying, is he?" Catherine asked, wringing her hands together.

"Not if I have anything to say about it," Sally replied, then ran her hand through her hair. "I should have seen this coming. Quatre told me once that he's had trouble taking medications in the past ever since his empathic abilities first began. I had no idea it would be this bad though. I should have watched him more closely. But with all the people here sick . . ." She sighed loudly.

"What about Raberba? Is he in any danger?" Catherine hoped the boy would be okay. The last thing he needed was this.

Sally shook her head. "No, I have him on a different medication. And I think Quatre's condition is mainly due to the different physiology he has . . . his empathic abilities for one. Raberba has shown no signs of having this skill."

"He wouldn't," Rasid stated. "Not yet, at any rate. Master Quatre did not often speak of the origins of his unique abilities. But he did say they did not manifest until he was ten years of age."

"That makes sense." Sally nodded. "Raberba is approximately seven years of age. No matter, just to be safe, I'll keep a closer watch on him as well." She pulled the blankets up over Quatre's body, tucking it in around him. "I want someone in this room at all times. We'll take turns. If you must, bring in more of the Maguanac and apprize them of the situation. But if you do, please be sure to warn them to steer clear of Triton. We don't need him running off and hiding while he's ill."

"Yes, of course Doctor Po," Rasid said, giving a bow.

"Um, excuse me for asking . . . but why haven't you called Hilde, or Quatre's sisters? Surely they'd want to help." Catherine said, hoping she wasn't crossing any lines.

Rasid turned to regard her. "We have contacted them. However, many of Master Quatre's sisters are living on the colonies and their work prevents them from traveling here quickly. Miss Schbeiker has contacted us to say she is on her way. She should be arriving soon."

Sally's voice interrupted. "Catherine, would you mind staying here for a bit? I was in the middle of helping Relena and the girls with lunch. Well, actually we haven't even gotten started. Odin and Heero are quite opposed to eating. It's a hassle, but we've become used to it."

Catherine smiled, nodding. "Of course." She watched as Sally and Rasid took their leave. Then she walked over to Quatre's bedside, pulling a chair closer. She sat, then reached out to take hold of Quatre's hand. She simply sat there, watching him, hoping that he would get better.  
----------

Hilde let out a breath as she straightened, wincing a little as her back muscles protested. 'You'd think I was carrying triplets.' She turned around and paid the taxi driver, thanking the man for the fact that he had carried her bags up to the door for her. It was a good thing she already lived on earth or else she wouldn't have been able to come here today. Une had contacted her to let her know about what had happened, and she was curious to see the children. Hearing they were ill though, was not to her liking.

Plus, she felt that she needed as much practice as she could get caring for children. Although, she doubted she'd actually be around many of the children for a few days at least. Her doctor had warned her to stay away from anyone contagious. Getting sick while pregnant wasn't exactly a good thing.

She rang the doorbell and waited patiently for the door to open. She smiled at Relena when the young woman opened the door. "Hilde, how wonderful to see you. I haven't seen you in almost a year. Wow, you look fantastic. You certainly have changed since then. How far along are you?" Relena said, greeting her with a flood of questions in just one breath.

Hilde took it in stride, smiling pleasantly as she settled her hand over her enlarged stomach. "Hey there, it's good to see you, too. Just entered my seventh month. But I didn't come here for a social visit. I heard you could use some help here. I won't be able to do much, but I have a recipe for chicken soup that's been handed down in my family for generations. It's just about guaranteed to bring the color back to their cheeks."

Relena frowned a little in concern as she lifted the heavier of Hilde's bags. "Are you sure that's wise? If I had known of your condition, I would have told Une to leave you out of this."

Hilde laughed merrily. "Oh, it'll be fine so long as I take the proper precautions. I'll make sure to keep my activities limited to cooking and maybe some laundry." She picked up her other bag and walked into the house as gracefully as she could. She left her bag just inside the door and proceeded to head straight for the kitchen. She was brought up short by a little boy with a strikingly long braid who was carrying a wet cloth. "Why hello there," she smiled. "And who might you be?"

"I'm Chibi-Duo, ummm . . . ma'am." He tilted his head to regard her before looking back to the wet cloth in his hands. "I gotta get back to my room. Odin was feeling warm, so I came down to get something to help him feel better."

Hilde smiled warmly. "It was very nice meeting you, Chibi-Duo. I'm Hilde. I'm a good friend of Duo's. We met during the war and helped each other out quite a bit. But we'll talk later, okay? Right now, you should go on back to your room and help your friend."

The child smiled brightly before heading out of the kitchen, passing Relena.

Relena was still smiling as she approached. "Well, you got here just in time to help with lunch. I'll take your bags up. I hope you don't mind sharing a bed with Catherine. With so many people here, we're kinda running out of room. It's a good thing Quatre's sisters weren't able to come. I don't know where we could have put them."

Hilde chuckled, shaking her head. "It's no problem." She looked around the room, taking note of the dirty dishes stacking up in the sink. "Well, let me get that soup started, then I'll see about cleaning up a bit." She began rummaging through the cupboards, not really noticing as Relena left.

She wiped down the counter and gathered together the ingredients she needed to make the soup, humming lightly as she did so. However, she paused when she heard the footsteps enter the kitchen, and she turned to see who's company she had. "Hey, Sally. Long time no see," Hilde greeted.

"Hilde, I see a lot has changed since I last saw you," Sally replied, gesturing with a wave toward the younger girl's bulging stomach.

Hilde grinned, pressing her hand flat to her stomach. Well, not flat, but against it. "Yeah, got knocked up," she sighed over-dramatically. "But I couldn't be happier about it. Even if my lowlife of a boyfriend couldn't have left fast enough the moment he heard I was pregnant."

Sally grinned, nodding. "I passed Relena in the hall. She told me you were here. I gather you won't be leaving even if I tell you to."

"Not a chance in hell," Hilde said plainly.

"Ah, well, I tried." She shrugged. "You can help out, but I'm going to be keeping a careful watch on you. At the first sign of illness - if I see one sneeze, one cough - you are going straight to bed until I am satisfied you are well."

"Yes, Ma'am!" Hilde gave a mock-salute, standing at attention as best as she could.

"All right then. When you're done fixing lunch, how about you take a couple bowls on up to Duo and Heero?" She shook her head, sighing. "Maybe you'll have better luck getting Heero to eat. He's lost his appetite and is quite stubborn about it."

"I'll make sure he eats something," Hilde promised.

Sally smiled. She gave Hilde the directions to Heero and Duo's bedroom, then left saying something about needing to check on her patients. Hilde didn't envy Sally all the work she had on her hands.

Hilde began humming again, smiling as she worked to fix lunch for everyone. When she was finally finished, she had two large pots full of hot soup. She got a tray ready, setting two bowls on it, filling them halfway with soup. Silverware and two glasses of water were also placed on it, as well as napkins. Relena, Catherine and Sally came down and fixed similar trays, a few of the children helping as well, then left to take the trays upstairs. Hilde moved a good deal slower than the rest, but that was to be expected. She took it carefully on the stairs, moving slowly to make sure she didn't fall and hurt herself. She balanced the heavy tray on one hand when she reached the bedroom, opening the door with her free hand.

Duo was sitting up in bed, looking miserable even as he read one of a dozen magazines that were scattered on and around his bed. He was breathing through his mouth, his nose red and running, his eyes looking puffy. His leg was elevated by a couple of pillows and every now and then Duo would glare at the offending plaster that surrounded his broken limb.

Heero on the other hand was lying on his side, facing away from Duo and the door. He took in a loud breath through his nose, only to end up coughing. He curled his legs close to himself as the hacking coughs tore through his body.

Duo looked over him, sympathy in his eyes. Then he turned his eyes to the door and a smile graced his face. He waved. "Hey Hilde," he said, his voice a grating whisper.

"Duo, I don't think you should be talking. You sound horrible." Hilde entered the room, closing the door behind herself. She almost laughed when Duo retorted by sticking his tongue out at her. She walked over to the beds and set the tray down on the bedside table that was between them. At least she knew Duo wouldn't be asking about her pregnancy. He knew full well who her boyfriend had been, had met the man, and had knocked the senses out of him when he had walked out on her. He had always been a good friend. They met almost every weekend for lunch, or just to talk.

"I have your lunch here, so you just eat it all like a good boy, okay?"

Duo grumbled silently, taking the bowl of soup from her.

She made sure one of the glasses of water was within his reach, then turned her attention to Heero. She eased herself to the bed, sitting on the edge. Cautiously, she shook Heero's shoulder, trying to gain his attention. "Heero? I have your lunch."

"I'm not hungry," Heero muttered, curling his legs closer to himself.

"Sally warned me you might give me some trouble." Hilde grasped his shoulder firmly, pulling him to lie on his back. "Come on now, give the pregnant woman a break and eat the food she lugged all the way up here."

Heero blinked, his eyes fixed on her stomach. "You're pregnant," he stated flatly.

"And you are just as perceptive as always." She reached for the bowl of soup and the spoon, even as Heero pushed himself to a sitting position. "Now, I made this soup from scratch. You'll hurt my feelings if you don't eat any of it."

"It's very good, Heero," Duo wheezed, then coughed.

Heero frowned, ducking his head. "But I'm not hungry."

Hilde set her hand on his arm, running a soft caress along his skin. "I know, but it's not good for you to avoid meals. It's only half a bowl. Surely, you can stomach that little bit."

"All right," Heero nodded with a resigned sigh. He took the bowl that Hilde was holding, then slowly began to eat. He didn't look all that happy about it, but at least he was eating. For that, Hilde was grateful.

Hilde sat there and watched him until he was finished. Duo had already finished by then and was back to reading his magazines, though his eyes were drooping and he looked ready to collapse any minute. With a smile, Hilde helped Heero to recline again, then tucked him in and smoothed back his hair. He was asleep before she managed to put his empty bowl back on the tray. She got up with some minor difficulty and moved to Duo's bed. She grabbed his magazine and pulled it from him, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at him when he looked ready to say something about it.

He sighed, then shook his head. "Fine," he croaked. "I'll go to sleep."

"No more talking." Hilde chided, helping Duo to lie down. "Just get some rest."

Duo did just that.

Hilde smiled, happy that she had been able to help. She picked up the tray and left the two glasses of water on the bedside table in case Heero or Duo got thirsty. She was happy the tray was lighter now. Then she left the room and returned to the kitchen. making sure she washed her hands thoroughly, she found herself happy that she had decided to come here. And she could hardly wait to meet the rest of the children.

To Be Continued . . .


	36. Part ThirtySix

Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.

Notes: It's been about a day since the last part. Catherine delivers presents and spoils the kids a bit.

Young Hearts

Part Thirty-Six

Catherine watched over Quatre for a good while. The sounds of the machines and equipment around her were now a comfort. They told her that Quatre was still alive and had a chance of recovery. Sighing, she rubbed her thumb across the back of Quatre's hand. He looked frail lying there. It broke her heart to see him so ill.

A stray thought made her smile, even as she worried about Quatre's health. She imagined how each of the children would react to the gifts she had gotten them. She only wanted to see them happy.

She glanced up as Sally walked into the room. "Hey, if it's all right, I'd like to visit each of the children. I stopped off at the mall on the way here and got them all gifts. Maybe it'll help them pass the time while they're stuck in bed." Plus, she really wanted to meet all of the children.

Sally chuckled. "All right. They're all awake now since they just ate." She made a motion. "Go on. I've got everything well in hand here."

Giving Quatre's hand one last brief squeeze, Catherine stood and left the room. She went down to her car to get the bags, leaving her suitcase there for the time being. She'd get that later. For now, she just wanted to spoil the children. Her first stop upon her return to the house was in Trowa's room. All three occupants looked at her with such expressions of confusion that she felt sorry for them. Maybe she should have left a note behind to explain things.

"Quatre had a bad reaction to the medicine he was taking and Sally is looking after him in the makeshift ICU. I'm sure he'll be fine though." She set her bags down on the bed and rummaged through them for a moment. "Now, I have something for both of you kids."

Raberba bounced a little in excitement while Triton looked interested, but slightly wary, as if he was still worried that someone here would harm him. Seeing him so worried, Catherine decided to give Triton his gift first. She handed the silent boy an art kit that had everything to get the child started - watercolors, crayons, pencils, chalk and markers along with a pad of paper.

Triton's eyes seemed to light up as he looked at the wooden box containing all the art supplies. When he looked back up at her, there was a big smile on his face that thanked her as much as any word ever could.

"You're welcome," she said to him, even though he hadn't said a word. "Now, for Raberba . . ." She pulled out a small battery-powered keyboard that already had new batteries installed. She had made sure of it before coming over. She wanted these kids to enjoy their gifts as soon as they got them. She also handed him a set of headphones, so that he could play even when the others were sleeping and not disturb them.

"Wow!" Raberba settled the keyboard over his lap and tested a few notes before giggling. "Thanks a lot! I like playing instruments, but I can't get out of bed or I'll get sicker." He started playing simple, but pretty, tunes.

Trowa smiled at the children. Then he turned to Catherine. "It was nice of you to get the children presents."

Catherine shrugged. "I remember one time when I was sick as a kid . . . getting a present cheered me up and made me feel better." She stood up. "Now, I have more gifts to deliver." With that, she left the room and made went down the hall. She didn't know where the other kids were, as she hadn't met them yet, so she just opened doors at random as she came to them.

She found an empty child's bedroom and gathered it was Raberba and Triton's room. The fact that the bottom bunk was hidden from sight by a makeshift tent assured her that she was right in that assumption. The next door she opened, she made certain to stay quiet. It was Duo and Heero's room. She frowned at the sight of Duo's leg encased in that cast, feeling sorry for him. Both young men were resting, that was a consolation at least. Duo blinked open his eyes, rubbing them wearily as he sat up and looked to the door. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," Catherine apologized, watching as Heero looked over his shoulder at her. "Just delivering presents to the kids and I didn't know where their rooms are." She smiled as she backed away and quietly closed the door. She hoped they'd be able to get back to sleep.

The next room she came to, she was pleased to find had two children in it. If she remembered correctly from Sally's conversation with her on the phone, their names were Odin and Chibi-Duo, Heero and Duo's clones. She smiled at the sight of Chibi-Duo entertaining Odin, making shadow puppets on the wall beside Odin's bed.

"Hey, you two. My name is Catherine. Sally called me in to help take care of everyone here." She said, introducing herself to these two adorable boys. "Now, I've got something that will hopefully make you feel better."

Odin looked intrigued, but Chibi-Duo seemed to sag just a little. Catherine didn't wonder about that. The sweet little boy probably thought that since he wasn't sick, that he wasn't going to get anything. "For Odin . . . a fun role-playing computer game that has a lot of puzzles to solve. Maybe Heero will let you play it on his laptop." She handed the small, brightly-colored box to Odin.

Odin looked beyond perplexed, but a tiny smile briefly appeared on his face. Then he pushed back the blankets on his bed and started to get up.

Catherine stopped him with a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Hold on a moment, Odin. I know you're eager to show Heero what you got, but you are still sick. I'll take you to go see him in a moment, okay?"

"Okay," he said with a slight sigh, sitting there patiently on the edge of the bed.

Catherine turned her attention to Chibi-Duo, only to find that he was fidgeting nervously.

"Did I do something bad?" Chibi-Duo asked, looking pale and afraid.

Catherine knelt down and pulled the child into a hug. "Not at all, sweetie. But . . ." She reached into one of the bags and pulled out a 5000-piece Lego starter set. "Don't you want YOUR gift?" She asked, holding the brightly colored box out to Chibi-Duo.

Odin leaned over and touched the plastic container. "Wow! Now we can build more stuff."

Chibi-Duo's eyes widened as he took the blue Lego-shaped box with trembling hands. "For ME? Really? But . . . but I'm not sick."

Catherine snorted softly. "So what? The others get toys and you don't just because they're sick and you're not? That hardly seems fair."

Odin nodded solemnly. "Yeah."

Chibi-Duo sniffled a little, wiping at his eyes. "B-but there was . . . there was never enough . . ."

"Ohhh . . ." Catherine pulled Chibi-Duo into another hug as the child started sobbing. "You were never really given gifts before, were you?"

The boy's breath hitched. "Not 'til Daddy gave me the oven and the kitty." He pulled away and sniffled again. Then he smiled shakily. "Can I go show my daddy?"

Catherine let the boy go, ruffling his hair. "Go on. I'll follow with Odin in a minute."

The long-haired child squealed with joy and scrambled out of the room with his box of Legos, only to return a moment later to hug Catherine again. "Thank you, Aunt Cathy!" Then he was out of the room again.

Odin was smiling a little too, but the smile was quick to fall. He looked down, obviously still trying to hide himself behind whatever training he had received at his tender age. "He would have been hurt if he'd been left out. I think he got left out a lot on L-2." The boy was quietly speaking, never looking Catherine in the eye. "He's been telling me what it was like there. He talks a lot. Says it's better to fill the air with his own voice than to have to listen to nothing and end up thinkin' about all the bad things."

Catherine nodded, filing away that bit of information. It gave her some insight into Duo's personality, why he was the way he was. "Well, then I'm glad I bought those Legos for him. I know Duo loves building and working with his hands, so I thought it would be perfect for Chibi-Duo."

Odin snorted. "Yeah . . . Chibi-Duo is always playing with my Legos. He makes cool things, but . . ."

Catherine chuckled as she found his robe and helped him put it on. "But they're your Legos, hm?" She smiled when Odin yawned. "Sleepy?"

Odin nodded, rubbing a small fist over one eye. "Yeah, just a little."

Catherine smiled, picking up his slippers and sliding them onto his tiny feet. She picked him up, cradling him close. "Well, I'll take you in to see Heero and you can nap with him and Duo. Maybe we can convince Chibi-Duo to take a nap too, hm?"

Odin nodded, yawning again as he settled his head against Catherine's shoulder, clutching his new video game against his chest. "Yeah. He hasn't been sleeping much. He's always taking care of me."

Catherine crossed the hall and entered Heero and Duo's bedroom. She smiled seeing that both young men were sitting up and listening to Chibi-Duo's prattle as he showed Duo the Lego set. Duo was smiling lovingly at the child and opening the little bags that held the Legos, dumping the plastic pieces into the container.

Heero shook his head when he saw Catherine. "I'm trying not to let Duo spoil these kids and you bring presents."

Catherine walked over and set Odin down on the bed. "These kids can stand a little spoiling. Besides, it's very dull lying around in bed all day with nothing to do but wait to get better."

Duo finished opening the bags and snorted a little. He didn't say anything though. Sally had mentioned he had a case of laryngitis.

"Why don't you show Heero what you got?" Catherine asked Odin, sliding her fingers through his hair lightly.

Odin bit his lip and shyly held the game out to Heero. "Do you think . . . ummm . . . can I play with it on your laptop?" He asked, dropping his gaze to the sheets. He looked like he expected to be told 'no'. It almost made Catherine pick him up and cuddle him again.

Heero flipped the case over, reading the back of it. It was really an educational game, made to resemble the basic outline of a role-playing game. It had heros and villains, a damsel in distress. But the puzzles that needed solving would test skills he'd need in school. It was a game geared toward young children.

Heero reached over to the table beside his bed and grabbed his laptop. He patted the mattress beside him, then flipped open the laptop to start it up. "I think it would be beneficial for you to play," Heero stated simply.

Odin scrambled to sit next to Heero. Catherine smiled, helping the boy take off his robe and slippers and tucked him into bed beside Heero. "You two have fun playing," she said. She turned and her smile widened at the sight of Duo and Chibi-Duo working together to build something she couldn't quite identify. "You too. But I want you all to take get some rest. I'll be back in an hour and if you're not asleep, I'll take your toys away." She turned to smirk at Heero. "That includes your laptop."

Heero spared her a glare, then returned his attention to the screen. He merely grunted in reply to her threat. Odin was settled at Heero's side, his small body tucked beneath one of Heero's arms. He was leaning close, letting Heero help him as his little fingers awkwardly moved across the keyboard, spelling out his name when the game requested it.

Catherine returned to Odin and Chibi-Duo's room to retrieve the bags and went on to the next room. She smiled when she saw two young girls, knowing immediately who they were. She was really glad that Sally had told her of the names of all of the clones. These two, she remembered, were named Midii and Lena. The two girls weren't sick, but it was almost nap time, so they were there getting ready to take their afternoon naps.

"Good afternoon, you two. I'm Catherine. I'm handing out goodies and you two lovely young ladies were my next stop." She reached into her bag and pulled out the two kits she had bought with the girls in mind. "One for Midii and one for Lena."

Lena opened her kit and smiled brightly at the mini gardening kit. It had everything she needed to start and indoor garden. "Wow! Cool! Thanks!" The girl looked around before placing the kit neatly on the dresser. "I'll start it later."

Midii was quietly looking at the knitting kit Catherine had given her with a soft smile on her face. She looked up at Catherine. "Thank you, Miss Catherine. I'll be very careful not to lose anything. I've always wanted something like this, but my father said it was too frivolous to waste time or money on."

Catherine scoffed. "Learning how to knit is not frivolous. You can take a ratty old sweater that's falling apart, pull it all out, and knit a pair of mittens and a scarf with the wool." She smiled and ran her hand along Midii's hair, "I'll leave you two to nap now."

Lena grinned and headed for bed, all but bouncing onto it. Midii was more calm about climbing into her bed. Catherine happily walked over and tucked each of the girls in. When they were settled in, she turned away and left the room.

Catherine opened the next door slowly and peeked in. She smirked slightly when she noticed that she had opened the door to Wufei and Tian Bao's room.

Wufei leveled her with a tired glare, even as he rubbed his reddened nose with a tissue. "Were you never taught to . . . to knock?" He punctuated that question with a sneeze that caused several strands of hair to fly about his face.

"Bless you." Catherine walked in, carrying her heaviest bag. "I was delivering gifts to all the kids and it's this little guy's turn." She handed the bag over to Wufei. "I remember you being very quiet that time you came with Trowa to the circus, so I figured that your little brother might enjoy something like books."

Tian Bao's eyes lit up as he tugged at the side of the bag, trying to look inside. "For me? I can start my own library?"

Catherine nodded. "Yup. I know Duo bought a whole mess of books, so I'm going to give you the receipt from the bookstore I got these from, Wufei. So you can get this little fellow something different if he already has something I bought available to him here."

Wufei accepted the slip of paper with a small smile. "My thanks," he said, bowing politely.

Catherine nodded and patted Tian Bao on the head. "You two get some rest. You really shouldn't be up." She didn't wait for a reply. Instead, she left the room, heading out to search for her last stop.

It didn't take her too long to reach her final destination. She smiled in understanding as she gazed upon the two boys who looked absolutely miserable. She knew they were going by the names of Milliardo and Treize. "Hey there. I'm Catherine. How are you two doing?"

The blonde was scowling, even as he rubbed the back of his arm across his nose. "I'm bored!" he exclaimed.

The boy with the shorter, darker hair nodded in agreement. "I wanna get up and play," he pouted.

Catherine smiled and fully entered the room. "I thought that might be the case. I bought the two of you something that might help."

The two boys sat up eagerly as Catherine reached into her last bag. She pulled out two handheld game systems and handed them over to the boys. "There you go. I bought different colors so you don't get each others' mixed up."

"Wow! Thanks!" Milliardo smiled brightly, flipping open the device.

"Yeah, thanks!" Treize said.

Catherine giggled a little, moving closer to Milliardo's bed. "You are very welcome. I didn't know what kind of games you'd like, so I just bought a variety." With that, she dumped the remainder of the contents of the bag out onto Milliardo's bed.

Treize threw his blankets aside and hopped out of bed. He said nothing as he climbed up onto Milliardo's bed, making himself comfortable as he and the blonde looked through the packages of games laid out before them. They were mostly action games, some fighting and platform games.

Catherine smiled as she watched the two boys make their selections before she turned to leave the room. "I don't want you playing for too long. You should be resting when you're sick. I'll come back in an hour and check on you and you had better be asleep by then."

"Yes, Miss Catherine," came the reply, one boy echoing the other.

She turned, shaking her head in amusement as she exited the room and closed the door behind herself. It was a brief walk back to Trowa's room and she made it with a slight bounce to her step. She had a bit of news to give him and was eager to get it over with.

Catherine peeked into the room to see that the two boys had settled themselves quite comfortably in Quatre's bed. Raberba was happily playing his keyboard while Triton sat beside him and doodled. What song the little blonde was playing, Catherine had no way of knowing since he had his headphones plugged in. Triton looked up and Catherine winked at him while nodding her head in Trowa's direction. The silent boy nodded in reply with a slight smile and went back to his artwork.

Trowa cleared his throat before speaking, uneasily pushing himself to a more upright position with shaking arms. "What's up, Cathy?"

Catherine smiled despite her nervousness and sat next to Trowa. "How are you feeling?" she asked, brushing her hand through his hair, unsettled by the fever she could feel as her hand grazed his forehead. "You had me worried earlier with your collapse."

Trowa ducked his head, looking away. "I'm sorry about that. But everyone Triton even remotely trusts is ill. I had to take care of him." He looked back up at her. "So, was there anything else?"

Catherine took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. She was worried about how Trowa would take the news that she had to tell him. "You remember how I wanted tests done to determine whether or not you were really my brother?"

Trowa sighed, staring down at the blankets. "You got the results back, then?"

Catherine blinked at Trowa's tone. It almost sounded as if Trowa didn't want the tests to be positive. If anything, it only left Catherine feeling more nervous. She took another breath and slid her hand along Trowa's face, turning him to face her. "Yes, I did. Trowa, you are my younger brother."

Trowa simply stared at her for a moment before shaking his head. "No . . . no, that's not possible."

Catherine reached forward to hug Trowa, only to freeze when he jerked away from her. "Trowa? What's wrong? I thought you'd be happy." She frowned, confused by his reactions. This was not how she had imagined this moment.

Trowa shook his head and looked away, his body trembling severely. "Happy?" he asked with a tone of confusion. "I should be happy, shouldn't I?"

Catherine bowed her head, clasping her hands together. "I thought . . . I thought . . ." She wrung her hands together, biting her lip briefly. "You know what? Let's just forget the tests were ever done and just go back to the way things were before." This had gone all wrong. Maybe she shouldn't have ever said anything in the first place.

"No," Trowa glanced over to the bed where Triton and Raberba were still playing amongst themselves, unaware of the conversation going on just across the room. He looked back to Catherine, speaking quietly so as not to alert the children. "Catherine, look, it'll take me some time to get used to the idea. But . . . for what it's worth, I am glad." He looked away, his long fingers fiddling with the end of the blanket, his hands shaking just as badly as the rest of him. "There are things I'm ashamed of. Things you should know but I can't tell you. Not now, not in front of Triton." He sighed, briefly flicking his eyes to look up at Catherine before he cast his gaze down again. "We will talk later though. In private."

Catherine let out a breath. "All right. I understand your need to wait. I guess it all was a bit sudden." She smiled at him and stood, deciding to give him some much needed room to breathe and think. "You get some rest. I'm going to go sit with Quatre for a while. Unless, you'd rather I stay here."

Trowa shook his head. "No, Quatre shouldn't be alone. Not now. I'd feel better knowing there was someone I trust to watch over him. Sally just doesn't have the time to devote to him right now."

Catherine nodded. "All right. I'll see you later, Trowa." She turned and walked out of the room. She hoped that, one day soon, Trowa would feel comfortable enough with the idea that she could call him 'little brother' to his face.

To Be Continued . . . 


	37. Part ThirtySeven

Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters. 

Notes: It's been about a day since the last part. Odin gets scared.

Young Hearts

Part Thirty-Seven

Odin yawned as he blinked his eyes open. He must have fallen asleep while playing his new game, and it looked as if Heero had saved the game and shut the laptop off, because it was sitting there on the night stand looking as innocent as ever. Heero was asleep too, breathing loudly through his mouth. And when he looked over to Duo's bed, he saw that both Duo and Chibi-Duo were sleeping soundly.

Odin chewed on his lower lip for a moment before he slowly pushed himself to a sitting position. He carefully reached to the table for Heero's laptop. He just wanted to play a little more, and Heero hadn't told him not to touch the laptop. So Odin figured it would be all right as long as he was quiet and turned the sound off. It was fun listening to the voices, but the subtitles made the sound unnecessary.

Being very careful, Odin leaned over to get the laptop. He didn't want to move too much and wake Heero up. After all, the older boy was sick and needed as much rest as possible. Odin swore to himself that he would stop the game immediately if he started to feel drowsy in any way.

He had his fingers curled around the edge of the laptop and started to pull it close, and then discovered that it was heavier than he had originally thought. He could feel the slim piece of electronics slipping out of his hand and he frantically tried to get it back where it had been, only to overcompensate. With a loud clatter, the laptop fell to the floor.

Odin froze for a moment when Heero mumbled in his sleep. Odin jerked his head to the side, his heart hammering even though Duo and Chibi-Duo were still asleep. Perhaps the medication they were all taking had resulted in this deep sleep. Still, a wave of panic had overwhelmed him. He would get in trouble for this, he knew it.

Trembling, he slipped out of bed and knelt down next to the laptop. He held his breath in the hope that it was undamaged, that the carpet had been enough to soften the fall. However, the rattling that came from it, along with the crack along the casing, told him that it was broken. 'I have to leave,' he thought to himself. 'He won't want me here anymore knowing I broke something of his.' With that thought, Odin spun and ran out of the room and to his own. He quickly got on some warm clothes and a pair of socks before donning his jacket and shoving his feet into a pair of shoes. The only thing he could think of was to run to L-1.

If Heero had been telling the truth when he had said that Odin Lowe was dead, then he couldn't go search him out. But, that wasn't his intention. Odin remembered Lowe's employer, though the memories of him were sketchy at best. Odin remembered that the elderly doctor had not been nice, that his tests and experiments had been unpleasant and more often than not painful. It had almost been a relief when J had left him alone in that forest for Lowe to find him. It had been time for his training to commence. Odin Lowe was to have been his instructor, teaching him the methods of assassination. After which, he would have been returned to J in much the same manner as he had been handed over to Lowe, as if it were merely a chance meeting of two strangers. Odin only knew that when he was to be handed off to J, he was supposed to walk along a particular street on L-1, and that he would be approached by J who would utter the code phrase.

None of this mattered now though. J would not be waiting for him now. No, Odin would just have to find the old scientist himself. L-1 was simply the most logical place to start his search.

He rubbed his hand across his nose as he shouldered a backpack that Heero had purchased for him, in preparation for when he would be expected to attend school. He had filled it with some clothing and a small throw blanket. Then he snuck downstairs by means of a back staircase, probably meant to be used by servants. He made his way to the kitchen, peering in and gratefully finding that no one was there. Quickly, he grabbed some foodstuffs and stuffed them into his pack, just a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter, but he figured it would last him until he reached L-1. Then he left. No one saw as he slipped out a side door and crossed the snow-covered lawn.  
-----

Heero yawned as he forced his eyes to open. Normally, the fact that he wasn't instantly alert would worry him. However, he knew the factors that led to his slow response time and continued drowsiness, so he remained unconcerned. He was ill. It was expected for there to be some inconveniences.

He glanced over to the bed where Duo and Chibi-Duo were resting and was relieved to see that Duo's coloring was more normal. He wasn't as pale, or flushed as he usually was when injured or sick. Heero took a brief moment to admire the American's beauty, and feel grateful that Chibi-Duo would have an easier life with people who loved him.

Heero looked around for Odin briefly, but didn't see the boy. This didn't really concern him. He figured that Odin had just gotten up to use the bathroom or get a drink of water. There were numerous innocent reasons to explain Odin's absence. So Heero simply got out of bed and stood there momentarily, trying not to fall back down when a wave of dizziness passed through him. He moved to take a step, only to pause and look down when the side of his foot brushed something hard. There, beside his bed was his laptop. He knelt down and picked it up. From the rattling, it sounded like something had come loose inside. He wasn't overly concerned about it since he regularly backed up any information stored on the device. If he couldn't fix it, then it could easily be replaced. He simply put it on the bedside table and continued on his way out of the room to the bathroom.  
After he was done in the bathroom, he headed back to his room, only to be stopped by a very worried-looking Sally. She seemed agitated and spoke before Heero could part his lips to question her. "Heero, do you know where Odin is? I went into your room about ten minutes ago to check up on the four of you and Odin wasn't there. I've looked all over the house and there's no sign of him anywhere. And when I went into his and Chibi-Duo's room, I found that some of his things are gone."

Heero's mind ran through a list of possibilities. Worry began to creep over him, seeping into his pores and clouding his mind. Odin was just a child, but he knew that the boy was more logic-minded that most adults Heero had met. It had been a part of Heero's training after all. Doctor J, and then Odin Lowe had beaten the feelings out of him, taught him to look at things analytically. Young Odin would have those memories. At least he didn't remember being returned to Doctor J's hands following Lowe's death. Those memories, Heero himself wished he didn't retain.

He took a deep breath, pushing down the worry. He thought about it clinically, going over the evidence he had. He needed more information. "First thing is to keep calm, Sally. Is there any way of telling how long he's been gone?"

Sally shook her head. "No, not really. There are footsteps in the snow, but it's been snowing again so they're mostly covered. If I had to guess, I'd say a couple hours or more." She bit her lip, her worry evident in her features and actions. "Why would he run off like this?"

Heero frowned as one possibility came to mind. 'He probably ran when he damaged my laptop. Such errors were deemed unforgivable when I was a child.' He shook his head. "I think I know why he left." He felt a small amount of relief fill him as he headed back into his room, though that fleeting relief was quickly quashed as he realized Odin would likely try to return to J. "And I have an idea as to where he's gone."

Duo groaned as he pushed himself to a more upright position in bed. "Where who's gone?" he asked, his voice strained and scratchy.

Sally glared at Duo. "Don't use your voice or you could hurt yourself!"

Duo rolled his eyes, but then gave Heero a questioning look.

Heero went to his dresser and pulled out some clothes. "Odin ran away."

Chibi-Duo gasped in alarm. "Odin's GONE? Where? Why?"

Sally spoke before Heero could reply. "What do you think you're doing, Heero?"

"I'm going after him," he calmly replied, opening another drawer and finding two pairs of socks. It wouldn't do him any good to go without sufficient covering. The weather outside could damage his health further. He needed to find Odin before the boy got himself hurt, or worse, before he could locate Doctor J.

Sally's hand grabbed his wrist, easing it away from the drawer. He looked up at her, confused as to why she would try and stop him. Didn't she want Odin to be found and brought back? "I should go. He's probably managed to get on a shuttle by now."

Sally shook her head. "You are not going anywhere until we all talk about this. You can't possibly go alone, not when you're sick."

Heero pulled his hand back. He nodded, thinking perhaps it would be a good idea to listen to her. A definite plan could be useful. Still, he didn't like the head start Odin already had and every minute passed only put the boy in further danger. He moved over to the bed and sat, laying his clothes on the surface beside him. "Make it quick. You have approximately five minutes to gather everyone for this discussion before I leave."

Sally didn't skip a beat. She turned and hurried out of the room.

Heero looked over to where Duo was trying to get up. "Duo ..." He sighed as Duo turned his beautiful eyes to him. "You are not coming with me. If you weren't so ill, I'd have you watching my back in an instant. You are the best partner anyone could ever hope to have." Then he cleared his throat, feeling a sense of awkwardness. "But you need to stay here and rest."

Duo grimaced and said one word in his hoarse voice. "Hypocrite."

Heero paused and let out a single chuckle. "Maybe so. But Odin is my ... my brother. If it were Chibi-Duo who had run away, I wouldn't dream of stopping you."

The little boy turned widened eyes to regard Duo. "You'd come look for me?"

Duo's response was to pull the boy into a firm hug, as if to reassure the child. "In a heartbeat," he rasped.

Chibi-Duo leaned into the embrace, resting his body fully against Duo's. He seemed content to just lie there, safe in the embrace of his father.

Heero sat on his bed, rubbing the back of his hand across his nose as he attempted once again to inhale. His sinuses were still clogged, his head feeling hazy at best. And his body ached. But none of this would stop him from going after Odin. No matter what Sally and the others offered in this little meeting they were going to be having, Heero was going to go. Odin was his responsibility and it was Heero's heart that ached with worry not knowing whether the boy was safe or not. He couldn't pass this mission off on anybody else. He would get Odin back and somehow make sure that the boy felt safe and secure enough never to flee from him again.

To Be Continued ...


	38. Part ThirtyEight

Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.

Notes: Une checks in on the kids. Odin is found onboard a shuttle heading for L-1.

Young Hearts

Part Thirty-Eight

Une sighed as she straightened her skirt and adjusted the bag that she carried. There wasn't much in the bag since she still knew so little about the children. However, she felt it necessary to bring a peace offering for the children that she had frightened. She regretted her anger and harsh words now. These children were innocents trapped in circumstances beyond their control and they had done absolutely nothing to deserve Une's anger. Hearing her own clone's voice saying she didn't want her name, only left Une feeling a pit of ice forming somewhere deep inside of her.

Still, she believed that the small puzzles and coloring books would be accepted well. She might not be forgiven outright, but maybe the gifts would bring them some small amount of joy. She clenched the bag in her hand and absently straightened her skirt with her other before she reached out to press the doorbell. There was a smile on her face when one of the Maguanac opened the door and gestured her inside. He took her coat from her, folding it over his arm.

"I figured it would be a good idea to see how everyone is doing in person instead of just getting reports over the phone." Then she noticed the vexed expression on his face and the way he kept glancing to the stairs. "What's wrong?"

The slender man rubbed the back of his neck. "There's a bit of a situation, I'm sorry to say. If you'll follow me, ma'am, I'll lead you to where all the commotion is. Most of the kids are sick, except for the young ladies and Master Chibi-Duo." His frown melted a little. "Darling kids, not complaining once about not getting as much attention as the sick kids, but rolling up their sleeves and helping out as much as they can. It's really quite cute to see them working the way they do."

Une smiled just a bit, but then sobered as the Maguanac led her up to one of the bedrooms where she could hear - it wasn't an argument just yet, but she could tell that it could become one at any time.

Suddenly, Yuy's voice spoke up. It was hoarse and one could hear the congestion in it. "Look, I'm going after Odin myself and I am not taking any of you with me. Trowa and Wufei are both sick, Hilde is pregnant and it is not advisable for someone in her condition to engage in space travel. Quatre needs Sally here and both Relena and Catherine are needed to administer to the health and welfare of the remaining children.

A little boy piped up. "I'll go! I'm not sick!"

Une knew immediately that it was Chibi-Duo. The reports she received from Yuy and the others had included the names of the children as well as updates on the status of their health.

There was a lengthy pause. "No. I want you here to look after Duo for me," Heero responded.

Une entered the room without knocking and put her best commander face on. "All right. Will someone tell me what the situation is?"

Surprisingly enough, it was Maxwell's clone that came forward. "Odin ran away. I wanna go after him. Please let me go and make Heero stay here! He's sick, and my Daddy will worry about him. I can find Odin. I'm sure I can. Please?"

Kneeling, Une smiled as she looked into those large expressive violet eyes. "I'm afraid I can't allow you to do that. For one, I think your father will worry just as much about you, maybe even more so since you're his son. For another, you really don't have the authority to be asking questions or to demand anything from people who would otherwise be very helpful. All they would see is a child." She tentatively reached out to stroke the boy's hair, and was pleased when he didn't flinch away from her. "I do appreciate your willingness to help, but you're of more use here. I'm sure you would be sorely missed since I've been informed that you are one of the very few healthy children here. I bet you help out a lot."

The boy sighed and nodded. "I just ... Odin is my best friend, and I'm worried about him." He sniffled. "I lost lotsa friends; dun wanna lose no more."

Une nodded, delicately setting her hand on his little shoulder. "I understand, and I will personally ensure that you won't." She turned her attention to Yuy as she stood up. "As your commanding officer, I cannot allow you to go alone." She straightened her skirt again. "So I will accompany you in your search. If there are any objections, speak up now. If not, I'll start making phone calls." She had a feeling there wouldn't be any objections. After all, she had agreed with the others that Yuy couldn't go alone, and there was no one else that could go with him for the very reasons that had been stated. She flipped open her phone and began making her aforementioned calls.

xxxxxxxx

Charles had been informed of the call from the Preventers' HQ. A child had run away from his caretakers, was ill, and headed for a colony in the L-1 cluster. The shuttle that Charles served as an attendant on had left Earth and passed the halfway point before the call had come in. Right now, he was looking in every nook and cranny a child could possibly hide. He was well trained in seeking out a hiding child since he had a little boy at home who loved to play hide and seek.

Once he had finished checking the passenger areas, he went back to the cargo hold and started looking there. He looked in small spaces and in the areas behind the crates that he could move with great ease. He had no luck for a good five minutes, and then he spotted what could only be the remains of a sandwich. He walked over to it and picked it up. Yeah, peanut butter; a sure sign that a child was nearby.

A little more searching rewarded Charles with the near-heartbreaking discovery of the child he was looking for. He was behind a crate near the back, lying there pale and shivering in a little ball while hugging the backpack that probably contained everything he had thought to bring with him. The thin blanket he had was kicked off of him, although it was obvious that he was cold.

Charles knelt down and gently shook the boy. "Hey there, little one. You shouldn't be here." He carefully scooped the boy up and carried him out of the cargo area. "What were you thinking?"

"I'm goin' for trainin'. I've got to ... I'm too much trouble." The boy sniffled, his voice a frail mumble.

"Hush now. I doubt such a young fellow like you can be much trouble." He headed through the shuttle up to first class. Someone had cancelled their trip at the last minute, so there were a few seats left at the very back. Charles set the boy down in one of them and put the seat into the reclining position. Sure, it didn't go all the way back, but it was a little better this way. He slid into the seat beside the child and ran his hand through his sweaty hair. The sheer heat coming off of the child's body was alarming.

A fellow attendant was passing by, so Charles waved his hand to motion the willowy woman over. "Sharon, hey ... do me a favor. Bring me a pillow and another blanket, please? And some soup for this little gentleman." Charles shook his head in sympathy. If this really was the boy they were searching for, then he'd undoubtedly made his condition worse. The child certainly matched the description sent out.

The other attendant returned with the requested items and clucked her tongue a little. "This young man is in sad shape. Where are his parents?"

Charles shrugged, even as he tucked the blanket around the ill child's little body. "He matched that description the Preventers sent out of a runaway. The details were foggy, but said that he was ill when he left his caretakers." He gently tucked the blanket around the boy and smiled as he took the cup of soup from Sharon. "I was about to go up to the cockpit and let the pilot know that I found a boy matching the runaway's description, but would you go in my stead? I only just found him and someone this small can fit almost anywhere. He might run off again if he wakes up to an unfamiliar face."

"Yeah, I'll go tell him now." She replied, turning with a flip of vibrant red hair and rushing down the aisle.

He shook the boy's shoulder and smiled gently as the child's blue eyes blinked groggily. "Here's some soup. Are you hungry?"

The little boy shook his head, pushing the cup away weakly. "Uh-uh. I don't feel so good."

Charles' eyes widened a fraction. He knew the signs. he barely had the time to put the cup of soup down on the floor, find and shake open an air sickness bag and hold it over the boy's mouth before the ill child was emptying his stomach. Charles placed his hand on the boy's back, rubbing it in gentle, slow circles as the kid heaved. When his retches turned to sobs, Charles pulled the bag away. He folded the top closed and set it down out of the way. Righting himself, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief and tenderly wiped the boy's face clean.

"It's okay. Don't cry." He lightly brushed his thumb across one puffy cheek, caressing a tear away. "Hey, what's your name?"

The boy sniffled. "O-Odin. M-My name is Odin." He hiccupped, still crying as he rubbed the back of his hand across his eyes.

"Well, it's very nice to meet you Odin. My name is Charles. Why don't you tell me why you were hiding in the cargo hold?" He didn't miss the way the little body stiffened. But the child's shoulders hunched and sagged a moment later, his sobs returning full force.

Charles wrapped his arms around him and pulled him over and onto his lap. Odin clung to him, his little hands making fists in Charles' vest. "I-I ... I don't know why I'm crying," he whimpered as his tears subsided again. "I don't cry. It's not allowed." He sniffled, pressing his cheek against Charles' damp clothing.

"It's okay to cry," Charles replied, trying to soothe the obviously distressed boy. "I cry when I'm upset. Or even when I'm terribly happy. I've cried at funerals ... at my own wedding and I tell you I wept more than you just did the day my son was born."

"You did?" Odin asked, his voice small and meek.

"Absolutely. He's my pride and joy." He stroked a hand through the boy's hair. "Now, why don't you tell me why you're running away."

Odin hiccupped, tears beginning to flow again. "Heero's gonna hate me! He'll get mad and send me away! I know he will."

"So you ran away first?"

Odin nodded. "Yeah," he replied. He looked up at Charles, his deep blue eyes swimming with tears. "What was I supposed to do? He woulda been mad when he woke up. I broke his laptop. He's always working on it. I know it's important." He sniffled, wiping his hand across his nose again. "I don't know how he'd punish me."

"I'm sure it won't be as bad as you think." He ran his hand through Odin's hair, lightly stroking the child's scalp. "He wouldn't be looking for you if he didn't want you back." True, he couldn't be sure that this Heero person was the one who had put out the call, but it was a good bet. And at the very least it would serve to calm the child.

The child lay his head down against Charles' chest. "Why are you being so nice to me, Mister?"

"Because you're a sweet little boy who is sick and needs help." He ran his hand through the boy's hair, then down along his neck and back. "Why don't you try and get some rest." He reached over and grabbed the blanket, lightly draping it over the little boy's body.

Odin didn't reply and when Charles looked down on his flushed features, he was moderately surprised to find he was already asleep.

Sharon returned shortly after that, her dark eyes full of worry. "How is he?" she whispered, her eyes always on the child even as she picked up the forgotten soup cup and the airsickness bag.

"Honestly, I'd feel better if a doctor would look at him." He brushed his fingers over Odin's cheek. "He's burning up."

"Oh, well I think I can help you there. Well, he's not a doctor."

"Sharon, what are you talking about?"

The slender woman smiled brilliantly. "Well, I was talking to this really gorgeous man back in coach. His name is Rick. He's going home to see his sister. I think we were really hitting it off."

"Sharon!"

She blushed, snickering slightly. "Sorry. He's a nurse. I'll go back and see if he'd be willing to help."

Charles shook his head with a smile. She could be so flighty sometimes. But she was a good friend. "Thanks, Sharon. I appreciate it."

She was gone an instant later, rushing along the aisle and disappearing through the curtain that separated first class from coach.

Charles sighed and turned his attention to the little boy that was sleeping in his arms. He looked so small lying there covered by the too-thin blanket. He hoped that the child would be all right. He hated seeing any child in pain.

To Be Continued ... 


	39. Part ThirtyNine

Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.

Notes: Heero and Une arrive to pick up Odin.

Young Hearts

Part Thirty-Nine

Heero looked out of the window with a great deal of tension. He was worried about the kids and Duo back home, of course. But that was muted greatly by his worry for Odin. The boy was his responsibility and he had failed miserably. The feeling didn't settle well in his stomach. In fact, he felt quite ill at the prospect of losing Odin.

Une got off the phone and cleared her throat to get Heero's attention. "You were right about where he was heading. A shuttle arrived on the colony not too long ago and a child claiming that his name was Odin was on board. A young flight attendant by the name of Charles has him in the security office. From the report, the man found him on the shuttle and has been taking care of him since. Odin claimed to be worried that you'd be angry with him."

With a sigh, Heero responded. He understood the child's reasoning. "My laptop was damaged. At that age, mistakes were met with harsh consequences for me. He wouldn't have anything else to go by." He shook his head once. "I'll have to reassure him as soon as I see him. How do I do that?"

"Are you upset about the laptop being damaged?" Une's tone was curious.

Heero shook his head again. "No, I was more upset about finding him gone. A laptop is an easy thing to repair or replace and I made sure to backup all of the important files, so nothing would be lost if the laptop got destroyed. Odin though ... how do you replace a child?"

Une looked pleased with Heero's answer and she smiled. "That's what you have to tell him. If he's anything like you, he'll want to hear the truth and nothing less."

"Affirmative." Heero nodded, then turned his attention to the window as he went over what he could tell the child. "How long until we get there?"

"Not much longer now." She looked at her watch, then anxiously out the window. "I do hope Odin doesn't get away from them before we get there. Being sick, he shouldn't be traveling in the first place. There's no telling what this or another escape attempt will to do him."

Heero didn't answer. "Now that he's in the custody of an authority figure, he'll play helpless until left alone to make another attempt at escape. I doubt he'll be left alone though." He regarded his superior with a sense of curiosity. "I thought you were against us raising the clones. No disrespect intended, but why the sudden concern?"

"Maxwell was correct in saying that they are just a bunch of kids. It's not their fault that the scientists created them. It took me too long to realize that." She sighed and looked down at her folded hands. "They seem to be good kids if Maxwell's ... son ... is any indication."

Smiling at that statement, albeit briefly, Heero nodded. "They are. I agree that they deserve a chance to as normal a life as we can give them, considering our professions." A sudden thought struck him which he felt needed addressing. "What happens when we go back to work?"

"That will be entirely up to you and the others, Agent Yuy. There are many agents that go into the field who have families, and many others who decide it would be more stable to take a desk job so that they can go home every day." Une shrugged. "Whatever each of your decisions are, you will each have a place in the Preventers."

Heero nodded at that and turned his attention back to the window.

The remainder of the shuttle ride was the longest Heero had ever encountered. He didn't understand that. Looking at his watch, he could see that it had actually taken five minutes less time than was considered usual, but it had felt entirely too long.

"Lady Une, a pleasure." The head of security strode forward and held his hand out for Une to shake. "I'm so glad we could assist you in this." He led the way through the terminal. "We occasionally get runaways trying to sneak onto the shuttles, but we always found them before the shuttle has taken off. I deeply apologize for this incident."

Heero spoke softly. "Odin is not like other children." He was surprised at the amount of pride he felt at that knowledge. "Where is he?"

"Follow me." They were led to the Security office. "He's over here."

The door was opened for them and Heero walked in. He let out a breath of relief when he saw Odin sitting there wrapped up in a blanket with a man tending to him. The man was wearing a flight attendant's uniform and Heero assumed him to be Charles. Odin's eyes met Heero's and a look of apprehension filled his young face. Without even pausing to think, Heero walked over and dropped to one knee in front of the child, hesitantly and awkwardly pulling the boy into a hug.

"Are you all right aside from being sicker?" Heero asked, pulling back to cast his eyes over the child's slight body.

After a confused pause, Odin nodded. "But, aren't you mad? I broke your laptop and then I ran away!" He sniffled and ran his hand across his runny nose.

Heero shook his head, gently setting a hand on the boy's knee. "A laptop is merely a collection of circuits contained in a plastic case. It can be easily replaced if it were truly broken." He looked over to the man sitting near Odin. "You're Charles?"

"Yes." He patted Odin on the head. "I found this little guy here and did my best to keep him comfortable. Someone from the infirmary was by and said he just needed rest and plenty of fluids, though she did suggest getting him to a doctor if he throws up again or his fever doesn't go down."

"Thank you."

"It's no problem." Charles rested his hand on Odin's back. "When he started telling me the trouble was in, I was hoping he was wrong." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small slip of paper and held it out to Heero. "Here, Odin told me where you live and I figure since we live in the same city maybe he'd like to get to know my son a little better. They're about the same age and it never hurts to make new friends."

Heero took the paper and nodded his thanks. "I'm certain Odin would enjoy that. There are a number of children in the house we reside in though."

Charles smiled. "The more the merrier."

Heero nodded. "If you'll excuse us." He rose and pulled Odin up into his arms. Odin shivered slightly as he settled in Heero's arms. He wrapped his legs around Heero's body as he dropped his head to Heero's shoulder.

"Take care."

Another nod was all the reply Heero felt comfortable with. He turned and left the room to find Une speaking with the Head of Security. At Heero's approach, she bid her farewell.

Not five minutes later they were on their way to the nearest hospital where Odin was checked over. Two hours beyond that, they were at an acceptable hotel. Odin was summarily bathed and tucked into a warm bed, given the prescription he had been written and was quickly falling asleep.

"Heero?" his small voice called as the teenager was picking up the pieces of clothing he had been wearing earlier. While awaiting the Doctor's attention, Une had taken a trip to a store to pick up a few necessities which included a couple sets of pajamas for the ill child.

Heero sat and looked down on his charge, curious to know what he required. "Are you in need of something?"

"You sure you aren't mad at me? I did something wrong. Doesn't that require punishment?"

"Not in this instance," Heero replied. "You were found swiftly and with no injuries. My fear that you would be harmed has been calmed so that I only feel happiness at your return. I do not have a sense of anger over your previous behavior. It was wrong of you to run from punishment and I expect you not to do so again. You would not have been physically harmed."

A look of pure relief crossed the child's face. Then he seemed worried again. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Proceed."

Little hands reached up and Heero obliged by bending down slightly. "Heero, could you ... I mean, would you consider maybe-" He faltered, and bit lightly at his bottom lip in a show of nervousness.

To quell that fear, Heero tenderly ran a hand through the child's hair and down his cheek in a way he had seen Duo do with Chibi-Duo on several occasions.

Odin blinked up at him, a timid smile twitching his lips. "Will you be my daddy?"

Heero was taken aback by the frank inquiry. But, he had no hesitation in his words. It was undeniable what his every instinct informed him to do. "If it would please you, yes, I would welcome that greatly."

The smile that broke out on Odin's face was larger than any Heero had seen on him before. "Thank you, Daddy." He threw his arms around Heero's neck and Heero returned it nervously, not wanting to unintentionally harm the boy.

They stayed that way for several minutes until Heero remembered that the boy needed rest. "Get some sleep, Odin." He pulled back. But to his surprise, Odin was already sleeping. Smiling slightly, Heero softly grasped the arms still around his neck and set them on the bed. Odin mumbled something lightly. Heero pulled the blankets up to his chin, then idly brushed the bangs from the boy's eyes. In his sleep, Odin smiled again and rolled to lie on his side.

Seeing the boy resting so peacefully, Heero felt a sense of happiness he couldn't explain. He stood and returned to his task of tidying up, letting that happiness rest in his heart. He would have to ask Duo the meaning of this feeling when they got home.

To Be Continued... 


	40. Part 40

_Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters._

_Notes: A very short part. Sorry about that. There will be more coming though._

_More Notes: Raberba wants to see Quatre. Triton tags along._

* * *

**_Young Hearts_**

**_Part Forty_**

_

* * *

_

Raberba glanced over to where Trowa was soundly sleeping. The medication they were all on made them all somewhat sleepy. He should be sleeping as well but he was worried about Quatre. He was anxious to see how his brother was doing.

So, despite feeling light-headed, he slipped out of bed and tiptoed toward the door. A hand on his shoulder made him jump and he turned to see Triton standing there.

"I'm not going far. I just want to see Quatre." He kept his voice quiet since he didn't want to wake Trowa.

Triton frowned and grabbed Raberba's sleeve.

The small blonde sighed. It could be annoying trying to interpret what the silent boy was trying to say. "Do you want to come with me?" When Triton nodded, Raberba shrugged. "Okay, it'll be tougher trying to sneak in there with two people, but I'm sure we can do it."

The two boys carefully made their way to where Quatre was being treated. Raberba had to push Triton and himself into a corner or a small alcove once or twice when someone passed them in the hall. They weren't doing anything wrong, but Raberba had the feeling that they'd be sent back to their room if they were caught out of bed. Being in a nice warm bed sounded nice, considering how woozy he still felt, but he really wanted to see Quatre.

Triton tugged on his sleeve and pointed to a door that Sally was coming out of. They were hiding just around a corner, peering out as she walked down the hallway away from them.

Raberba smiled at the taller boy and nodded. After making sure the coast was clear, he ran for the door with Triton on his heels. As quietly as he could, he turned the knob and slipped inside.

He'd expected the room to be dark, but the light on the bedside table was on. The lamp was bright enough to illuminate the room, but not too bright so that someone coming to wakefulness would be blinded by it.

Raberba carefully approached the bed, afraid of making a sound. Although some sound might have been masked by the various electronics in the room. The room was filled with machines. Machines that monitored Quatre's condition, that made sure he continued to breathe, among others. The sound of them scared and comforted Raberba at the same time.

Triton nudged him and he bit his lip when he noticed that they weren't alone in the room. He'd been so focused on Quatre that he hadn't seen Catherine sitting there beside the bed.

Catherine gave them a concerned look. "You boys should still be in bed," she tutted disapprovingly, yet with such sweetness that it didn't feel like they were being chided at all.

Raberba looked at Triton, wondering what to say, but Triton shrugged. The small blonde chewed on his lower lip, thinking, as he looked to Catherine again. "I wanted to see how Quatre was doing. Would you please let me ... us ... stay a little while?" He found it almost easy to be polite to this woman. Besides, he knew that being nice would get him further than acting like a brat would.

She seemed to consider it before nodding. "All right. You can stay until Sally gets back from checking on Duo. When she gets back, I'll take the two of you back to your room. All right?"

Raberba sighed. He wanted to stay longer than that, to wait until Quatre opened his eyes and smiled at him again. He wanted to know that everything was going to be okay. But he had the feeling that he'd be sent back right away if he refused. So he swallowed his pride and nodded.

The smile she returned to him made him feel pleasantly warm. "I can't begin to imagine how worried you are, but I'm sure everything is going to be all right."

She held out her hand and Raberba darted across the room to her with Triton trailing cautiously behind him.

"Sally says his vitals are stronger." The woman said, even as she hefted his slight body up and set him to sit on the edge of the bed next to Quatre's still form. "She has every hope he'll come around soon."

Now that he could see better, Raberba noticed that there weren't quite as many machines around Quatre as the last time he'd been in here. The fact that Catherine was letting him sit here at all left him feeling reassured. He found himself staring at Quatre's hand, still and pale against the bedding. Nibbling on his lower lip and glancing to Catherine with a mix of nervousness and embarrassment, he edged closer and curled his fingers around Quatre's fingers.

* * *

Catherine sat in the chair she'd been occupying these past few hours. She was happy to do it though. Quatre was a friend. Perhaps not a dear one, or someone extremely close to her, but he was a good and gentle soul and deserved to have someone watching over him while he was ill.

She watched Raberba. He was frowning worriedly, his tiny hand holding tightly to Quatre's fingers. She raised an arm and patted his knee, not knowing what else to say. She'd already relayed Sally's reassurances. It was all she could do.

A small hand touched her knee for a brief instant. Catherine smiled at Triton, offering up all the love she could in that one expression. "Do you want to get up there, too?" she asked.

He looked up at the bed, then back to Catherine. He was as silent as ever, but she could see he was warring with himself over something.

"You can, if you want," she coaxed, wanting him to keep him calm. Too much pressure and he might run off again. She remembered that first day when Trowa had brought him to the circus and how terrified he'd been. Already she could see a change in his demeanor. Still silent and frightened, but perhaps a bit braver and more confident. Making friends with the other children, feeling safe for the first time in his life, it would help him.

Tentatively, he stepped closer. She reached out her hands, but he froze and moved back, shaking his head.

"You don't want me to lift you?" Catherine asked.

He shook his head again.

Catherine was confused by his behavior, but nodded anyway. "Okay. I won't try to lift you." She sat back and set her hands on the arms of the chair.

He watched her for a moment. Then he moved closer again, eyes fixated on her. He was afraid, she could see that, so she sat still.

Carefully and slowly, the small boy climbed up and sat himself across Catherine's lap. His thin arms shook as he curled them around her.

"Can I put my arms around you?" she asked, cautiously, not wanting to frighten the boy further. She was astounded by this show of trust on his part. That he had initiated this affection was cause for cheer. Making a show out of it though, might only cause a setback in the tentative steps Triton was taking to trust them.

A single nod answered her question.

With delicate care, she encircled him in her arms. To her complete joy, he uttered a frail and timid sound, no more than a moan at best, but a sound nonetheless. Looking down on him, she saw him open and close his mouth, a look of concentration on his face. That look turned to frustration, bordering on anger.

Catherine smiled. "Don't force yourself, sweetie," she cooed, caressing his hair with a gentle hand. "You'll speak when you're ready." She kissed the top of his head.

Triton looked up at her, his cheeks dusted with a shy blush. He nodded, then tucked his head under her chin, grunting as he cuddled close to her body.

She kept smiling and rubbed her hand over his back, her eyes trailing over to Raberba who was smiling back at her.

* * *

**_To Be Continued ..._**


	41. Part 41

Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.

Notes: A very short part. Sorry about that. There will be more coming though.

More Notes: Triton comes to a decision.

* * *

Young Hearts

Part Forty-One

* * *

Triton jerked awake with a small gasp. Only Catherine's arms kept him from toppling off of her lap. He looked up at her with wide, frightened eyes, unsure of when he had fallen asleep. The only thing he knew was that someone was holding him, restraining him, and at first, that was frightening. But then she ran her hand through his hair and smiled at him, and he began to feel a little burst of warmth deep inside. He felt safe with her, safer than he'd felt in as long as he could remember, almost as safe as he felt when he was with Trowa.

Still, he didn't feel comfortable. He liked the feel of her holding him, but not for too long. Too long, and he felt trapped, confined. He wriggled his way out of her grasp to stand in front of her, his small hands on her knees.

"You okay, sweetie?" she asked, gently brushing her fingers through his hair again.

He shivered at the contact, but managed not to flinch. He liked her. He didn't want to be afraid of her. Or of anyone for that matter. The people here were nice and so far not one of them had hurt him in any way. On the contrary, they'd taken care of him when he and the others had gotten sick. And Trowa and Catherine were his family. He'd never had family before. At least, he didn't remember any. He didn't care if he was just a clone. He liked having people who cared about him.

However, he couldn't escape the feeling that he was going to end up doing something wrong. That he'd make a mistake and they would all hate him for it. He didn't know what they expected of him. Surely, they at least wanted him to talk. He'd noticed the sad looks whenever he responded non-verbally. Catherine may say not to rush himself, but he knew she wanted him to speak.

He did try. But every time he opened his mouth, his throat would close and no sound would come out. As much as he tried, he just couldn't do it. Maybe it was because he was so afraid of disappointing Trowa and Catherine. What he needed was someone who maybe wouldn't judge him so rashly, someone not quite so worried about him. But who? Miss Relena and Miss Hilde were terribly busy with everyone who was sick. And Doctor Sally had Quatre to worry about. Maybe someone in that group of men who had come to the house, the ones who had so terrified him at first. He'd seen some of them wandering around the house, running errands and doing chores.

Yeah, that's what he would do. That really big one in charge was too scary to even consider. Maybe that one that had given him his sunglasses. He seemed nice enough.

Triton looked over at the bed where Quatre lay. Raberba was still up there, asleep next to the older blonde. He looked back over to Catherine, biting his lip. Then he glanced to the door and back to her.

"Do you want to go?" Catherine asked, her fingers delicately brushing against his scalp. It was calming, the way she was carding her fingers through his hair.

He nodded to her, then looked toward Raberba again.

"You go on," Catherine said. "I'll look after Raberba."

Triton gave her a weak smile and nodded one more time. He stepped back away from her, then turned to the door and left quickly. He darted down the hallway and back to Trowa and Quatre's room. He and Raberba had been staying in there. He felt better being near Trowa.

Quietly, he opened the door and entered. Trowa was still asleep, so he tried to stay quiet, but not too quiet. Trowa seemed to be able to hear when he and Raberba were trying to be sneaky. Several times he had caught them trying to leave the room when they were supposed to be resting. It hadn't taken them long to learn how to make just enough noise to keep from getting caught. Triton was good at learning quickly. He'd had to be. Mercenaries weren't forgiving.

He grabbed what he needed and left the room again. He had to find the man who'd given him the sunglasses.

* * *

Abdul hummed softly to himself as he fixed a leak in one of the kitchen pipes. It wasn't a bad leak, but it was one that needed prompt tending to so it wouldn't get bad. He didn't enjoy the task, but he had drawn the short straw. He still thought Ahmed had cheated, but he had no way of knowing for certain.

He heard a soft footfall and shuffled out from under the sink to see who it was. He blinked when he saw the little clone of Mr. Barton standing there. He believed the boy had been given the name 'Triton'. He smiled in what he hoped was an encouraging manner. "Hey there! Should you be out of bed?"

Triton walked closer looking like a frightened kitten. The child swallowed a couple of times before holding out the sunglasses Abdul had given to him.

Abdul smiled at the boy. "I have another pair. You can keep those if you like them."

Triton shifted from foot to foot for a moment while biting his lip.

Abdul had a feeling that something important was about to happen, so he sat patiently.

The quiet child shuffled closer. He sat on the floor in front of Abdul, setting a plastic toy down between them. The boy took a deep breath before looking down and pulling the lever that activated the toy. Abdul noticed that he was shaking, and his skin was pale. He looked nervous. But then, this boy always looked nervous. No, now he looked downright terrified.

"The dog says-" the toy said, followed by the sound of a dog barking.

Very quietly, barely louder than a breath, the words, "Woof woof," passed the little boy's lips. He didn't look up, he merely sat there and shivered, staring down at the toy.

Abdul blinked when the child tensed and those tiny fists clenched. Then he smiled kindly. He knew better than to discourage this child, this boy who had never uttered a word so far. "That's right," Abdul smiled a little wider. He reached down and tugged the lever himself, and obligingly clucked after the electronic voice announced the chicken.

To his relief, Triton relaxed a fraction. He moved a little closer to Abdul, still hesitant and unsure. Then he seemed to come to some internal decision and climbed up onto the Maguanac's lap. He picked up his toy and placed it into his own lap, then activated it again. His body was still trembling, ever-so-slightly.

"Baa," he voiced a little louder than before.

Abdul made it a point not to shout out his joy to the world. The fact that Triton was speaking was amazing. But too much excitement might just get him to clam up again. So, instead, he smiled and softly encouraged the boy, and together they played with the learning toy.

* * *

To Be Continued...

* * *

_I know, it's a very, very short part. But I wanted to post SOMETHING. It's just been so long since I updated this. I WILL write more!_


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